Liverpool are reportedly reluctant to extend Diogo Jota's deal at Anfield and are said to be growing increasingly frustrated by the forward.
Jota stated the Reds' 2-1 EFL Cup final defeat against Newcastle United on March 16 and proved ineffective when trying to battle Dan Burn for control of long balls.
The Portuguese international started the season up front for boss Arne Slot, but he has only started 10 Premier League games this season due to either injury or poor form.
While he is not the only underperforming forward, it is concerning that Mohamed Salah has been so heavily relied upon in the final third given he has scored or assisted nearly 64% of the Merseysiders' Premier League goals.
Football Insider claim that Liverpool may not renew the 28-year-old's deal at the the club, which is set to expire in the summer of 2027, with the Reds keen to strengthen in attack in the next transfer window.
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Jota's decline
Jota arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2020 from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and though he was behind Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in the pecking order, he still managed to score nine league goals in his debut season despite playing just 1,112 minutes.
The forward scored 42 goals in the top flight in the next three seasons largely as a squad player, but he has only found the back of the net five times this campaign, and he has also missed 15 games through injury this term.
In fact, since the beginning of the 2020-21 season, the Portuguese attacker has missed out on 97 matches for club and country, suffering five muscle injuries since 2022-23.
Jota has often been able to bounce back from any setback and return to form quickly, but he has found it difficult to pose much of a threat for the Reds in the final third under Slot.
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Should Liverpool sell?
Considering Jota's history of injuries, age and the fact he will have just two years left on his deal by the time the summer transfer window opens, Liverpool are unlikely to be able to sell him for a higher fee in future windows.
However, selling the 28-year-old could be risky given he could be one of four forwards to leave the club, with the likes of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez strongly linked with exits.
Salah is out of contract at the end of 2024-25 and there has so far been no news of an imminent agreement, while Federico Chiesa has only played 28 minutes of Premier League football.
Perhaps keeping Jota for another season but reducing his role in the team would be sensible in order to avoid having to bring in so many new players and to prevent disruption.
Lewis Nolan
