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Cody Gakpo has already proven exactly why Liverpool transfer could change everything for Arne Slot

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo.
-Credit: (Image: Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)


As Liverpool prepares to return to Premier League action this weekend with the trip to Wolves, there is probably only one real decision for Arne Slot to make when it comes to his starting XI.

The likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will come back into the team, while the Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai midfield trio is likely to be reinstated. Luis Diaz is the favorite to start off the left-hand side but Cody Gakpo couldn't have done much more in his last couple of appearances to make that position something of a headache.

Liverpool has two elite options in the same position, with Slot having made it clear to Gakpo that he doesn't see him as a number nine. The Dutchman can play there if necessary but he won't be shoehorned into the team.

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On the one hand, having two in-form players vying for minutes in the same role could cause friction, though there is no sign of that yet. Clearly, both Diaz and Gakpo are worthy of places in the team but one will have to miss out on starting.

Even if Diaz scores a hat-trick against Wolves, Gakpo will be likely to play against Bologna in the Champions League. That too could potentially create an issue at some point down the line.

For now, at least, however, it is an enviable position. Neither Pep Guardiola nor Mikel Arteta has anything like the depth that Slot can call upon and Federico Chiesa is still very much getting up to speed with his new club.

It is the perfect example of how having competition for places means everyone is A) forced to play at their best to keep their place in the pecking order and B) given the chance to rotate to keep fresh. Where Sadio Mane had to play every game because there was no one else, Diaz and Gakpo can swap in and out and play less frequently, which should hopefully help with avoiding injuries.

Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring his second Liverpool goal vs West Ham with Curtis Jones.
Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring his second Liverpool goal vs West Ham with Curtis Jones. -Credit:Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images

It's a lesson that Liverpool can learn in other positions too. Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez might feel the benefit when they are both firing and Chiesa will help ease the burden on Salah. Conor Bradley can keep Trent Alexander-Arnold on his toes and Jarell Quansah has already seen his place stolen by Ibrahima Konate.

Having multiple good options in every position means that those who hold the shirt are elevated to a new level. And that is exactly why Liverpool should be eyeing up a January transfer move having missed out on Martin Zubimendi.

There have been suggestions that Zubimendi could return to the table as an option for Liverpool but even if that is not the case, the Reds should still be looking for another elite number six despite the emergence of Gravenberch. Having two players in that position could push the Dutchman on even further.

Wataru Endo is the current back-up but Jamie Carragher suggested this week that he could move on in January. He was only ever likely to be a relatively short-term option given his age and the Japanese isn't that well suited to the demands of the role.

And so whether it is Zubimendi or someone else, the number six position should still remain a priority. So too, perhaps by next summer, should the left-back role. Andy Robertson is not getting any younger while Kostas Tsimikas could possibly be improved on.

Liverpool has a strong roster, as Slot has repeatedly made clear. When it comes to transfers, though, the Reds cannot afford to stand still. A January deal could make a big difference — just like Gakpo and Diaz are already proving.