Diogo Jota injury setback ensures Liverpool can't escape £90m dilemma Man City have avoided

Liverpool went from strength to strength in their pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple last season after signing Luis Diaz in January. Taking to the field 35 times in 2022, they’d lose just twice, only drop points in the Premier League on three occasions and won 28 of those matches across all competitions as they clinched a domestic cup double but missed out on Premier League and Champions League glory by the finest of margins.

Having sat 14 points behind eventual champions Man City in mid-January, to claw such a deficit back to take the title-race to the final day of the season was an achievement in itself. Never mind the fact that, at one point, as Pep Guardiola’s side trailed 2-0 to Aston Villa, the Reds were just a goal away from snatching the title away from the Etihad before eventually finishing just one point short.

The strength in depth within Jurgen Klopp’s squad was crucial to such efforts as he was able to rotate his side with no noticeable drop-off in quality as Liverpool chased down maximum major honours. And Diaz’s mid-season arrival made that most abundantly clear in the Reds’ attack.

For so long Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino had been an untouchable triumvirate leading the line. But, having seen Diogo Jota already break up that famous front three, the Colombian’s arrival ensured no player was indispensable, with Klopp still boasting Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino in reserve.

All seasoned internationals, the Belgian was the only one of the septet not to finish the 2021/22 campaign with double-figures in front of goal in a further sign of Liverpool’s attacking strength. But Klopp would enjoy just half a season with such a plethora of options before his ranks were broken up.

Mane had