5 days ago
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Jamie Carragher says Liverpool was right to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich in the summer despite the Colombian's fast start to life in Germany, where he has excelled under Vincent Kompany.
Some Liverpool fans have questioned the decision with Diaz playing well in the Bundesliga. But the Reds felt they got a good price for someone with only two years left on his contract. Diaz, 28, had been keen to move on from Liverpool in the summer window a year earlier but was convinced to remain put for another 12 months.
"That’s where I think the hierarchy of the club has said Arne Slot is [only] the head coach," Carragher said on The Overlap Fan Debate, sponsored by Sky Bet.
"Arne Slot might have wanted to keep him, but [the Liverpool hierarchy] said he’s 28, if we give him a new contract, he’ll be on massive money.
"It was a good deal for Liverpool, and he’s going to look good in the Bundesliga because it’s not as good as the Premier League.
"Diaz was a very good player for Liverpool, but he wasn’t great — he wasn’t Firmino, he wasn’t Mane, he wasn’t Salah. He was a good player; Liverpool got some good years out of him and got a good price — it was a good deal for Liverpool.
"What they haven’t done is replace him, but if Florian Wirtz becomes what we hope him to be, he’s a different player, but he’s that player between the lines to the left, so you’ll get that from him."
Carragher also offered his take on Mohamed Salah, who was taken out of the starting XI and left on the bench during the win over West Ham on Sunday.
"I've been critical of Mo Salah off the pitch this season, but on the pitch, I think he’s had too much criticism," Carragher said. "The team’s not playing well, so he’s not going to be as good.
"We’re talking about the first season he’s ever had where he’s not been amazing — even though Liverpool have had poor seasons over the last seven or eight years, Salah has still scored 30 goals. It’s the first time he’s ever had a poor start to the season.
"You look at the make-up of the squad and people saying don’t play him, if you look at how they played [vs West Ham], they basically played without a right winger, because they haven’t got one behind him to replace him.
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"Yes, they won and everyone is happy, but that’s not the template for Liverpool going forward as a team. You’re pleased Joe Gomez is back, but he’s not a flying full-back and he has no winger in front of him, so he almost had to be the right winger.
"That’s not a progression or something to do going forward, that was a job for the last game. So I think Salah goes back in [the starting XI] against Sunderland.
"I think in certain away games, you take him out, so he doesn’t play every week, but it goes back to the make-up of the squad, where you haven’t got any cover for the wide players.
"Cody Gakpo must play every game, and Salah does, because there’s nobody behind them."
Liverpool.com says: Selling Diaz was undoubtedly the right call. In time, Wirtz can take on that mantle. As for Salah, it will be fascinating to see what happens next. If the rest of the team improves around him, that will only help.
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