Rio Ferdinand has argued that Liverpool attacker Luis Diaz is the “standout signing” of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
The 25-year-old made the move to Liverpool in January from Porto for a fee that could rise to £50m.
Tottenham Hotspur were pursuing him but he opted to sign for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
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Diaz has hit the ground running for the Premier League outfit. He has grabbed four goals and three assists from his 20 outings.
The forward was involved in two of Liverpool’s goals as they beat Man Utd 4-0 at Anfield last month.
Ferdinand believes Diaz is vying to be one of Liverpool’s first-choice forwards:
“Luis Diaz, the impact he’s had at Liverpool, and especially in the front areas,” Ferdinand said on his Five podcast.
“We were saying before he came, ‘if one or two of them get injured up front, they’re going to be losing, the quality drops down dramatically’. When he starts, he’s probably vying now to be in the first three.
“Like, Firmino would struggle to get in there, he [Diaz] probably gets in ahead of Jota now if they’re putting their best team in a Champions League final. That’s how much of an impact he’s made since he’s come. He has just been a breath of fresh air. You watch him play, on the ball he’s brilliant … but his reaction when they lose the ball is unreal.
“He’s like a trigger, bang, go go and get it back. For those reasons, he’s the standout signing of the season for me.”
Meanwhile, Peter Crouch thinks it’s between Liverpool forward Mo Salah and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden for the PFA Player of the Year award:
“This year, if Manchester City win the Premier League and Champions League, you would have to pick Phil Foden or Kevin De Bruyne. I’d potentially go for Foden because he has consistently been a shining light for them.
“There are plenty of others you could choose and the same goes for Liverpool. The performances of Virgil van Dijk have been an absolute joke. Sadio Mane as well, coming back from winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal and picking up where he left off. He has to be in the conversation.
“I do seem to be skirting around the fact that Mo Salah — already crowned FWA Footballer of the Year — has the most goals and assists this season.”
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