Former Premier League defender Danny Mills believes Liverpool ace Sadio Mane ‘could now go’ following the arrival of Luis Diaz.
The 29-year-old was the match-winner against West Ham at the weekend but there remain question marks over the future of the Senegalese forward.
In the final 18 months of a contract at Anfield, both Mane and Mohamed Salah will be in need of new deals over the next few months.
Speaking to Football Insider, Mills suggested that the impact of Diaz may allow the Reds to cash in on the star.
What Liverpool have done with their transfer policy and the players they have brought in is prepare for what’s after Mane, what’s after Mo Salah. With the signings they’ve brought in you can understand it. Luis Diaz looks a real player with out-and-out quality. He can play through the middle and off either wing. It’s good recruitment and good planning from Liverpool, looking at the long-term. Mane and Salah are not going to go on forever. There will come a point where they will have to be replaced, for whatever reason, and that might be in 18 months time or it could be in two or three years time. They are putting into place things now to combat that. For whatever reason, if Mane is not happy and wants to move on, so be it. He could now go, for sure.
Since arriving on Merseyside, Diaz has scored once whilst earning an impressive 7.33 average Sofascore rating from four Premier League outings.
Meanwhile, so far this season Mane has scored 14 times and provided two assists in 33 appearances across all competitions.
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The attacking options at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal at present are undoubtedly the strongest they’ve been during the German’s tenure.
With all of Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino, Mane, Diaz and Salah vying for three spots, the likes of Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino provide little more than patent onlookers.
However, given the previous dealings from the club under the stewardship of FSG, new long-term contracts for the entire original front three seem unlikely.
Whilst it’s difficult and perhaps even unthinkable to admit, at least one of Firmino, Salah or the £72million valued Mane could be on the move this summer.
Until then there are three more trophies to fight for at the firepower gives Liverpool every single chance.
