It is fair to say that more than a few eyebrows were raised when Liverpool splashed out £41 million on the signing of Diogo Jota from Wolves during the summer transfer window of 2020. Nobody was questioning the Portugal international’s ability, but a giant leap into the unknown was being taken as part of a squad at Anfield that was already well-stocked with proven attacking talent.
Fast forward, a little under 18 months, and a once questionable recruitment call has proved to be yet another masterstroke for the Reds from Merseyside. Jurgen Klopp and co. have picked up a useful habit of unearthing hidden value where others fear to dig. An immediate return on considerable investments of faith and funds has been delivered by Jota, who has been a reliable player since he joined the side.
Liverpool may have slipped off the pace in a domestic title race, but anyone looking for a football bet of the day could back them for FA Cup glory at 4.5 or to secure a Champions League crown at 6.0, with impressive progress being made to the business end of both competitions.
Looking forward for 2022 ?
— Diogo Jota (@DiogoJota18) January 1, 2022
Happy new year everyone ? pic.twitter.com/aWMtibkflE
Jota is still waiting on the first winners’ medal in his current surroundings, but he is doing all he can to right that wrong. Through his first 60 games for Liverpool, an impressive tally of 30 goals were recorded – with that haul likely to have been even more impressive if 21 games had not been sat out through injury last season.
Holding his own
To put Jota’s achievements into perspective, he has been more than holding his own among illustrious company.
He hit the target 13 times through 30 appearances for Liverpool in his debut campaign with the club – the same total that Sadio Mane managed during his first season. It must also be noted that a Senegalese winger only registered 27 efforts through his first 60 outings.
Elsewhere, Roberto Firmino hit just 23 goals across two seasons after arriving at Anfield and has never really been prolific since then. The Brazilian is asked to be more of a team player than an individual talisman, and Jota is very much capable of filling a similar role.
He has 17 efforts to his name this season, with only Mohamed Salah managing more for Liverpool, and stepped up in a time of need when two distinguished teammates were away chasing down continental honours at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Superb header, @DiogoJota18 ? pic.twitter.com/ApLSw1Sxjt
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 6, 2022
Klopp is now fully aware of what Jota has to offer and can be expected to hand him a prominent role heading forward. That could end up working against Firmino, with the South American already generating exit talk as he approaches the final year of his current contract.
Salah and Mane are in the same boat, as they work on terms through to 2023, and both have seen fresh starts elsewhere speculated on. Liverpool will be understandably reluctant to part with either, but in Jota, they know that they have another superstar in the making that can paper over any cracks.
by Val Carvalho
