Sources: Two surprise Liverpool stars now face uncertain futures
Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo will be playing for their Liverpool futures in the second half of the season, sources have told Football Insider.
Speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, editor Wayne Veysey revealed that one or both of the attacking duo could potentially be sold if the Reds recruit a big-name addition or two to the front line.
It is believed that Liverpool chiefs are disappointed in their outputs this season and their long-term positions at the club are far from nailed on.
Liverpool are exploring the market for top-class forward additions this summer, when they are braced for the departure of star man Mohamed Salah.
He turns 32 in June, when he enters the final year of his contract, and the Egyptian superstar remains the subject of huge interest from the Saudi league.
Uncertainty over the futures of Diaz and Gakpo may be viewed as a surprise in some quarters but Jurgen Klopp and his staff have showed in the past they will ruthlessly move on big names who are not delivering.
Gakpo moved to Anfield in January 2023 from Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven for a fee of up to £44.3million.
While the Dutchman has had bright spells in his first year in Merseyside, he has struggled to be a regular goal scorer having bagged just 15 goals across 51 appearances.
This season, he has managed just three in the Premier League but did score in the Reds’ 4-2 victory over Newcastle United on New Year’s Day and his contribution from 26 matches in all competitions is eight goals and three assists.
Diaz has similarly underwhelmed in front of goal having scored 16 goals in 71 appearances since his £37.5million move from Porto two years ago.
He has showed signs of a much-needed return to form in the last two matches and scored an emphatically-dispatched second goal for Liverpool in their rousing 2-0 FA Cup win at Arsenal on Sunday.
But the Colombian wide man has been nowhere near the electrifying player he was before suffering a serious knee injury, also at Arsenal, in October 2022.
As revealed by Football Insider (31 December), Liverpool are closely monitoring Crystal Palace sensation Michael Olise as a potential long-term Salah replacement.
Liverpool sit top of the Premier League table following their victory over the Magpies and next face Arsenal in the FA Cup third round on Sunday afternoon (7 January).
In other news, Liverpool are ready to loan out an ace to earn regular first-team football in January.