Liverpool star tipped to take over as 'main man' once Mohamed Salah departs
Liverpool still has to resolve Mohamed Salah's future, but it has been told that whenever the Egyptian does move on, the team's new talisman is already waiting in the wings.
Salah has wasted no time in reaffirming his credentials at the start of the Arne Slot era. He was the main main without a shadow of a doubt in Liverpool's opening three games, registering three goals and three assists in the opening three Premier League fixtures.
A little quieter since then, Salah has nonetheless already built a compelling case for a contract renewal. Getting that over the line will fall to sporting director Richard Hughes, who also has the futures of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk to resolve as a matter of urgency.
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But while this contract situation is far from ideal, Liverpool does have other superstars-in-waiting. Losing any of the trio would be a major blow, but Troy Deeney believes that the heir to Salah as the main man is already at Anfield.
Naming his Team of the Week for the BBC (he has taken over from Garth Crooks this season), Deeney sung the praises of Luis Diaz. Only Erling Haaland has scored more than the Colombian at the start of the Premier League season, and he found the net twice more against Bournemouth.
"On the right [sic] for Liverpool he was the best player on the pitch by a country mile," Deeney eulogized. "I appreciate this is a massive statement but it made me think if Liverpool do let Mohamed Salah go, he could take over as the main man.
"He was excellent, left foot, right foot. He ran short and ran long. His enthusiasm to play football was brilliant and both his goals were unbelievable as well. Fantastic, fantastic."
It's a big claim from the former Watford striker. But on the evidence of what we have seen so far under Slot, nor is it totally outrageous. Diaz has been giving off peak Sadio Mane vibes. In his pomp, the Senegal winger did indeed rival Salah for plaudits.
Time will tell whether it's a finishing hot streak or something more. End product has always been one of the biggest complaints about Diaz, and we will need a bigger sample size to declare that he has finally arrived on the scene as a genuine world-beating winger.
But Salah himself is a reminder that players develop at different rates. He was a relatively late bloomer at the very top level, and there's no reason why Diaz could not be the same. As sports science and fitness regimes evolve, longevity at the peak of the game is only getting better. At 27, it's reasonable to suggest that he could be about to enter his prime.
He could even end up directly replacing Salah. As Deeney points out, he has shown his prowess with both feet — Mane spent a productive first season at Anfield on the right flank before moving to accommodate Salah, and the opposite may yet happen with Diaz at the other end of the Egytpian's career at Anfield.
But whether Diaz actually takes over on the right wing or simply takes up the slack of providing the attacking returns, he has shown signs this season of being the one who could step up if and when Salah does move on. That's high praise indeed.
To that end, Hughes should add a new contract for the former Porto man to his to-do list. While slightly less pressing, Diaz remains on the deal he signed in January 2022 — if he is being lined up as the new "main man", he needs terms which reflect that.
Liverpool.com says: Hopefully, Slot still has plenty of time left to work with both Salah and Diaz. They have been a lethal combination at the start of the new campaign.
But even if Salah isn't going anywhere just yet, it would be helpful to have another main man sharing the burden at the top of the pitch. If Diaz can sustain this new level he appears to have found, it would be a major boost to Slot's chances of success at Liverpool.