There is pressure on Liverpool as they head into Saturday’s game against Brentford.
The Reds have drawn their past two Premier League fixtures, allowing Arsenal to close the gap at the top of the table to four points.With a game in hand also in their back pocket, Liverpool are still in a good position, but they won’t want to give up more ground this weekend.
Ahead of the game, though, there has been some disappointing news. After getting the equaliser against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, Diogo Jota has picked up another injury.
Jota was outstanding against Forest, coming off the bench to completely change the tide of the match. But having only come back from a previous problem in December, the 28-year-old is missing again.And according to journalist David Lynch, Liverpool could now be weighing up a slightly surprise transfer decision regarding JotaDiogo Jota could be up for sale
Jota has been an important player for Liverpool ever since arriving in 2020. However, right from his first season at Anfield, the Portuguese has been hampered with fitness issues.
When he’s on the pitch, Jota is regularly decisive for the Reds. His record of 64 goals in 164 games may not be amazing, but he has often been the little man for the big ocassionBut with the under-performing Darwin Nunez likely to be sold in the summer, Arne Slot badly needs a more reliable number nine.
And speaking on his YouTube channel on Friday, Lynch claimed that Jota’s failure to be more available may result in the No.20 being put up for sale at the end of the season, too.
“It starts the debate around what do you do with him this summer?” says the journalist, while acknowledging Jota’s injury
I don’t expect Liverpool to do anything kind of rash in the January window, but it does raise the question.“He’s going to be two years out from the end of his contract when this season ends, can Liverpool rely on him, do they need to cash in on him? I think that’s a big debate that’s coming up.
“I think that’s something bubbling under the surface for the summer,” Lynch adds. “But hopefully this absence only amounts to one game.”
Could Liverpool enter the January market?
There is a clear need for Liverpool to bring in a central striker who can deliver game on game for Slot this summerGiven how poorly Nunez is playing and how little Jota has been available, some supporters would like to see that recruitment drive brought forward to the winter windowLiverpool were heavily linked with the likes of Omar Marmoush, who has been on fire for Eintracht Frankfurt this season. But the Egyptian is set to join Manchester City instead.
There is always a chance that the Reds will jump in for a different long-term target if someone unexpectedly becomes available, but for the time being we would not be expecting any movement.
Come the summer, though, and things could well be very different