After being in great form in the first half of the season, the Liverpool attackers’ scoring has declined as the season has progressed. While Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo have been involved in goals consistently, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa have struggled.
Among others, the Portuguese attacker has not cured his habit of being out injured every year, and this season he spent around two months off the bench with muscular problems. He has not been in full condition since returning from injury and has not scored a goal since mid-January against Nottingham Forest.
Manager Arne Slot has a lot of tasks to ask of his centre-forward, and although there have been occasions when he has not been in a position to just score, he has not been without chances. Clubs, also in the Premier League, have turned their attention to the 28-year-old forward, who has been a bit less present this season.
According to GiveMeSport, Newcastle United are interested in the Portuguese forward, who has shown his ability at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Anfield, in order to further strengthen their front line.
However, Jotta is not the only target, but just one of the candidates. The 22-year-old striker Hugo Ekitike, who is currently playing for Eintracht Frankfurt, is also on the list and the right talent is being investigated.
The 28-year-old attacker, who has also had stints with Paços Ferreira, Atletico Madrid and Porto, is slowly losing the confidence of the Dutchman’s commanders. Even with injuries, his first-team appearances have been declining compared to earlier in the season.
With a contract until June 2027, it would be the right time to sell him, and at 28 years of age, it would be his last chance to get some decent money for him.
And with the need to raise funds to acquire new players, it is not surprising that some of the bigger clubs, such as Jota, Nunez and Diaz, have plans to sell players of interest to them.
What will be the future path of the Portuguese forward?