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Liverpool superstar Sadio Mane has tipped January signing Luis Diaz to succeed at the club. He also insisted that he does not see the 25-year-old Colombian as his competition.
The Colombian joined the Merseyside giants from FC Porto on winter transfer deadline day. The deal cost the Reds an initial fee of £37.5million, potentially rising by a further £12.5m with add-ons.
Diaz has mostly played on the left flank throughout his entire career. It is the natural position of Mane, but the Senegalese international does not view Diaz as his direct rival for a place.
Mane told CBS Sports:
"I've spent two, three days with him and he's a very, very nice guy. For sure he will do great for Liverpool because he's so, so talented and he's very humble. A very hard-working player. I don't see it as competition. I see it as making each other better players. If you want to be a great team you need these kinds of players.”
The dynamic winger has already started to impress for the Anfield club and looked lively in his two outings for Jurgen Klopp's side so far. Diaz bagged an assist on his debut in the 3-1 win against Cardiff City in the fourth round of the FA Cup. He also impressed in the 2-0 win against Leicester City in his first start for his new employers in the Premier League.
Mane recently returned to Anfield after lifting the Africa Cup of Nations title with Senegal by beating Egypt on penalties in the final. He is also optimistic about Liverpool's remaining season. The 29-year-old believes Liverpool can compete on all fronts with the acquisition of Diaz. He has backed his manager to strike the right balance to get the most out of the side.
Mane continued:
“We are really happy to have these kinds of players and for sure, we're going to win and Liverpool will win from it. You think about the Champions League and Premier League…which is great for us as players and for the club, and for the fans. I think everyone knows Klopp is a great manager. He is used to this situation, making sure everyone is happy, and for sure he will keep doing the same.”
What future holds for Liverpool's iconic front three?
The trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have terrorized defenders across England as well as Europe for quite some time.
But Salah and Mane are now aged 29 and Firmino has turned 30 already. Hence, the future of the triumvirate looks up in the air, especially with their contracts up for expiry in the summer of 2023.
Salah has continued his ridiculous free-scoring form, having 32 goals contributions in just 28 games in all competitions this season. Both Firmino and Mane have experienced slumps in their goalscoring numbers, with seven and 10 goals respectively this season.
With the signings of younger players like Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz over the last couple of years, Klopp already has options to turn to.
We have to wait and see what the future holds for the Liverpool trio but at the moment, they have both quality and depth in their attack.
