Slot rotated the pair at the beginning of last season, before he moved Diaz centrally following an injury to Jota. It allowed Gakpo to excel in the left-wing role, finishing the season as Liverpool’s second-highest scorer with 18, while Diaz became Slot’s preferred No 9 option for a large portion of the campaign.

Florian Wirtz's decision to perform a U-turn on an apparent agreement to join Bayern Munich and join Liverpool has drawn some unexpected criticism.