Liverpool transfer hijack of Luis Diaz may be among four things to feature in Pep Lijnders book

Pep Lijnders is releasing a no-holds barred book on Liverpool’s 2021-22 season.

The Reds assistant manager gives the inside story of an unforgettable campaign which saw Jurgen Klopp’s side go close to an unprecedented quadruple.

Liverpool won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup but fell just short of Premier League and Champions League glory.

Titled Intensity, the book will allow supporters to go on an all-access, behind-the-scenes journey - from dressing-room team talks to pitchside tactical changes and the rest.

On the book, Lijnders said: “I obviously had no idea how the season would turn out, but whatever happened, I’d committed to this project. As we say, what we do, we do 100 per cent at Liverpool FC.

“I decided we would hold nothing back in this book; what you read is what happened as it happened throughout the course of the season. I believe this book is for anybody who loves the game.

“You’ll read all about the decisions, the training, the tactics, the team-talks and how Jürgen motivates and leads this team, players, and staff like no-one else can as we had an incredible season, winning two trophies and going close in two more.”

With that in mind, we take a look at the hot topics that may feature.

Diaz hijack

Luis Diaz proved a revelation after arriving from Porto in January.

It was well-known that Liverpool were admirers of the Colombia international. He'd impressed when facing the Reds twice in the Champions League group stages.

However, the swoop for Diaz came in a window that's usually quiet for Liverpool. In truth, the speed of the Reds’ move came as a shock.

A fee of up to £50 million was paid for the winger's services - ensuring they hijacked Tottenham Hotspur's move.

Lijnders may go into detail about the exact moment Liverpool got wind of Spurs' move for Diaz and how swiftly sporting director Julian Ward reacted.

Clawing back Man City

Liverpool might not have won the Premier League title. They finished a point behind Manchester City in what proved a thrilling race that went down to the final day of the campaign.

Yet it didn't look like it would go that way at one stage.

The Reds found themselves 14 points behind Pep Guardiola's side. Even the most optimistic of Kopites who'd written off Liverpool's chances of claiming the top-flight crown.

But the backroom staff refused to wave the white flag. Instead, they engineered a run to the end of the season that yielded 16 wins, two draws and no defeats.

Klopp pinpointed how the Reds decided they would 'give it a try' after drawing with Chelsea on 2 January.

Lijnders could go into further details of what was discussed and the plans put in place.

Salah and Mane contracts

Mo Salah's transfer saga is finally over.

The Egyptian put pen to paper at Anfield last week and committed his future until 2025.

However, throughout last season, Salah’s future was uncertain. Contract negotiations, for a good while, were at an impasse.

Along with Salah's precarious situation, Sadio Mane was too in a similar boat.

Even ahead of the Champions League final against Real Madrid, talk was dominated about whether the two wing wizards would stay.

In the end, it was Mane who departed for Bayern Munich for a fee of £35 million.

Lijnders could describe how such talk might or might not have impact Liverpool and his thoughts on both players’ decisions.

Future plans

Lijnders' book is to be released on 4 August - two days before the 2022-23 season starts with a trip to Fulham.

You would suspect, then, that he will conclude by spelling out Liverpool's aims for the new campaign.

Not only that but Lijnders may also lift the lid on his own future ambitions.

Along with Klopp, the Dutchman signed a new Anfield contract until 2026.

But Lijnders may go into further detail about his own managerial aspirations - and if he’d like to succeed Klopp.

In December, he did admit he'd like to return to the hot seat at some point after a brief spell in charge of NEC.