Liverpool have forgotten man who deserves to start under Arne Slot after last season

With Liverpool gearing up for the new campaign in pre-season, there’s one player who will want to stake a claim after last season’s performances.

One area that was on song last year for Liverpool was their attack. Their five-man front-line that includes Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and, most importantly, Diogo Jota all fired in a minimum of 10 goals each across all competitions. Yet, it was the Portuguese international who arguably maintained the best form.

Having developed from a left-sided attacker into a potent, penalty box forward, Jota is a dependable and unique striking option. Varying greatly to the explosive and chaotic Nunez and the slender and sharp Gakpo, Jota brings an air of reliability in front of goal and his 15 goals and eight assists last season would have been even more impressive if it wasn’t for two unfortunate injuries.

A muscle injury initially ruled him out for eight games, while a knee collateral ligament tear contributed to a further 17 games out of action. Prior to the serious injury, he had managed eight goal contributions in seven games after recovering from the muscle injury and his form was missed as the Reds fell away in the title race and Europa League in the final parts of the season.

Jota’s 88.5 minutes per direct goal involvement was the fifth-best in the Premier League last season, beaten only by Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Michael Olise and Cole Palmer. It demonstrates how lethal he was and in Slot’s system, which operates with a narrow front three, he may be the most suited to the system given his ability to be versatile across the front three and make sharp decisions in the box.

With a few years left on his deal, Jota will remain a key forward. The fight to start through the centre will prove difficult, but it is certainly up for grabs with Slot now at the helm. He scarcely featured for Portugal at Euro 2024 and will be hoping to hit the ground running in pre-season and into the new campaign - especially with Gakpo and Nunez taking time off after their international exploits. And staying fit could be the key to success for Liverpool next season.