Diogo Jota; Another Perfect Liverpool Signing

Liverpool fans were down-in-the-mouth on Saturday after a late VAR awarded penalty kick equalizer by Brighton. The decision, and others, left Liverpool Coach Jürgen Klopp frustrated and very much on edge. The same can be said for the Liverpool supporters who took to social media to vent their feelings about three VAR decisions that broke Brighton’s way.

However, there is one thing that the fans seem to agree on, and that’s Diogo Jota has turned out to be a great addition to Liverpool. But rewind to September, and that was far from the prevailing view.

His arrival was very much overshadowed by that of 2020 Champions League winner Thiago Alcántara from Bayern Munich and there was a solid number of fans that were somewhat befuddled by Liverpool’s interest in Jota.

Earlier in the summer Liverpool had passed on signing Timo Werner from RB Leipzig for around $60 million. Why was a proven goal scorer like Werner wrong and Jota the right signing? 

There was even banter from Wolves supporters who thought that their team had pulled a fast one by getting Liverpool to pay $50 million for the 23-year-old Portugal international and giving him a 5-year contract.

Ten weeks later and Jota has been one on the most influential players of the new season. His goal against Brighton on Saturday was his 9^th in 14 appearances for his new team and was Jota’s 8^th in his last 8 appearances for Liverpool.

Jota’s is strong with either foot and his versatility allow Klopp to field him in any of the attacking midfield positions or as part of a front three. His career goals are split quite evenly with 40% from his right foot and 60% from his left.

According to website Transfermarkt, Jota has been at his most productive, career-to-date, as a right winger scoring at an average of 0.55 goals per game. At center forward his ratio is 0.50 while playing on left wing his productivity has been 0.30. Lining up as a support striker his goals-to-game ratio has been 0.28.  

So far this season Jota has 3 goals from the right wing, 2 from the left and 4 from the center forward position. His performances to date have fans speculating that his long-term future with Liverpool is as the replacement for Roberto Firmino.

Firmino is the consummate “pressing from the front” attacker and Jota has the same qualities that fit right into the Liverpool ethos. When he signed Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders described Jota as a “pressing monster” and a player who “will fit right in” and so it has turned out.

However, in the short run, it is more likely that Jota will plug a Liverpool gap that is often overlooked. The Liverpool first pick three of Salah, Firmino, and Sane have been so productive that it is easy to forget that the rest of the Liverpool squad do not contribute as many goals at they should to the cause.

Over the past two seasons no other Liverpool player has hit double figures in goals with Alex Oxlade Chamberlain the most productive with 8 goals last season. Jota has already scored 9 and there seems no reason, should he stay fit, why he cannot match or exceed his tally of 16 that he hit with Wolves in 2019/20.

Jota brings a fourth string to an already productive Liverpool scoring bow.