Liverpool star likened to a ‘£100m new signing’ for Merseyside derby performance as key impact highlighted

Former Liverpool forward Peter Crouch has labelled Luis Diaz as a £100m player following his performance against Everton, but how key is he for Jurgen Klopp?

Diaz, 26, was in sparkling form against Everton, playing an instrumental role in getting Ashley Young sent off as well as earning Liverpool a penalty to open the scoring in what was a tight derby up until that point.

He was afforded several chances to take on Everton’s right-hand side in what was more like a traditional winger’s performance, the likes of which aren’t as commonplace in the Premier League as they once were - and it certainly caught the eye.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Crouch said: “I love Diaz. He’s been like a new signing, like bringing another £100m player in, because obviously his injuries last season. Him coming in just changes things.”

Diaz suffered a nasty knee injury at the start of last season and he missed over 20 games in the league before returning for the final two months of the season. It was a long comeback for the Colombian but he is currently back to his devastating best - and there is still more to come.

He continues to be a key player for Klopp as his first-choice starring left-sided attacker, and he’s started nine of his first 11 games thus far, netting three times. The disallowed goal against Tottenham last month could have set him up for a strong run, but that whole ordeal left a sour taste in the mouth of fans as the VAR hiccup denied ‘El Lucho’ what would have been a ceremonial moment in a big game.

Fans will point towards the success of Sadio Mane in the past; he often reached 20 goals in all competitions and there’s still a gap for Diaz to bridge at the current time. As it stands, if he carries on his current rate and plays around 44 games this season he would finish with 12 goals and four assists in total, but would that good enough?

This season has seen a slight drop-off in take on’s but the biggest difference between this and the last is non-penalty expected goals - the statistic which measures the quality of chances he’s involved in. That has risen from 0.23 (62nd percentile) to 0.38 (85th percentile) which shows he is better positions and is receiving chances, it is simply all about taking if he wants to improve.

His direct attack on Everton’s right-hand side showed he is as sharp as ever and now the onus is on him to make the most of the great positions he often finds himself in. With no other direct left-sided attackers, it means - should he stay fit - that he will have a long run in the side to take his game to the next level.