Diogo Jota is reportedly attracting interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia as Liverpool prepare for offers for a number of their attackers this summer.
Jota has scored just once in 15 games since returning from a brief injury in February and has started on the bench in each of Liverpool’s last two fixtures.
With Luis Diaz preferred up front against both Leicester and Tottenham there are doubts over the Portuguese’s future at the club after a sub-par campaign.
According to the Telegraph‘s Chris Bascombe, clubs from the Saudi Pro League are “thought to be considering a move” for Jota ahead of the transfer window.
That comes with previous Saudi interest in both Diaz and Darwin Nunez, with Liverpool awaiting offers for the trio before making any decision over their futures.
Nunez seems a surefire departure having failed to prove himself in three seasons since his £85 million arrival from Benfica, while Jota and Diaz are both 28 and have two years remaining on their contracts.
There appears to have been no progress in talks over a new deal for Diaz and it stands to reason that, if bids are made, Liverpool could sell either the Colombian or Jota this summer.
As Bascombe explains, though, “it is unlikely Liverpool would sell three attackers in the next window” given the scale of their business elsewhere.
The journalist did add that “it remains to be seen what size bids will materialise,” suggesting that big-money offers would be considered regardless.
Federico Chiesa could also feasibly move while Harvey Elliott and Ben Doak find themselves on the margins and could be open to transfer elsewhere.
Liverpool want a new striker
Liverpool are already expected to sign a new centre-forward with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike a realistic target, but could pursue another winger if either Jota or Diaz depart.
Bournemouth‘s Antoine Semenyo – who has scored 11 goals and assisted six in 38 games shared across the left and right flanks this season – is named as a player of interest.
Jota has been a reliable source of goals since his switch from Wolves in 2020, with 65 in 179 appearances for the club at an average of one every 156.6 minutes.
But he has only once played more than 35 games in a season so far – that being in 2021/22 when he played 55 times – with injuries clearly taking their toll, and this term he has scored only nine times in 34 games.
