He spent two years with manager Jurgen Klopp. His style of play, in which he gets behind the opposition’s final line and attacks the goal with vigour, suited the German coach’s emphasis on attacking quickly after the possession, and last season he scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists, both in double figures, in 54 games.
However, with the arrival of Arne Slot, he has struggled in the centre-forward role as the club has shifted to a possession-oriented football, while also making use of high-speed counters. Diogo Jota as well as Luis Diaz are increasingly being used in the same position, and it seems that the pecking order is dropping by the day.
According to Anfield Watch, the well-funded Saudi Professional League are interested in the Uruguayan striker, who is struggling to adapt to the Dutch coach’s style of play.
The paper mentions the name of Al Hilal, where Brazilian forward Neymar may leave at the end of the season, although a one-year extension option exists, but mentions the possibility that other Saudi Arabian clubs may also be keen.
At Liverpool, Egyptian international Mohamed Salah is still being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, while Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker was also in talks last summer. The league is planning to pull out a number of veterans from strong clubs.
As the Uruguayan attacker is only 25 years old, a trip to the Middle East is not a realistic option if he leaves Anfield. He is unlikely to abandon his Champions League and top-flight career and jump at a higher salary, so a possible future is to Italy or Spain.
However, he could turn into a player in the next six months. Head coach Slot has spoken of his confidence, but the fact that his playing time has not increased that much suggests that he is not yet ready to play ideal football.
Will the 25-year-old striker, who scored a number of goals during his time at Benfica, be flying out of Liverpool in the near future?