Liverpool have their NEW forward | OneFootball

Liverpool have a new forward and he's one that won't cost Richard Hughes a penny.

There's a lot of focus on the Reds bringing in a no.9 this summer. It's clear that Darwin Nunez's days are numbered at Anfield.

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He has struggled to live up to the hype which surrounded him upon his arrival. Time and time again Nunez has played with our hearts. He's made us believe he was going to turn the corner only for him to go down the same path.

It's a vicious cycle that Liverpool will be hoping to end and Nunez is not short of suitors despite his inconsistent form. At this stage, it's not clear where he will end-up but he certainly has options to chose from both in Saudi Arabia and Europe.

For Liverpool fans the focus is not on who Nunez will sign for but who will replace him. There's a lot of discourse on social media about potential new signings in the position.

Alexander Isak and Julian Alvarez are two names who are definitely on the club's radar. However, realistically speaking Liverpool will know that it is going to be difficult for them to leave their current clubs this summer.

So, then there is the prospect of signing someone who remains on the market. A risk. Essentially.

But Hughes doesn't have to do that. Liverpool already have their new forward.

No, it's not Florian Wirtz. He's on the verge of joining Liverpool and he can play as a false nine but he's not the perfect solution.

The perfect solution is Luis Diaz. Arne Slot has already played him in that position a few times, most notably against Bayer Leverkusen when Diaz scored a hat-trick.

Now it seems like it's not just Slot who recognises Diaz as a striker but the Colombian national team manager Nestor Lorenzo as well.

Against Argentina, Lorenzo opted to play Diaz in the no.9 position and it paid dividends. Diaz scored a delightful goal to secure a draw for Colombia and he also won the most duels (12) on the pitch.

In an all encompassing performance, where Diaz drifted from central spaces to the left, he was brilliant. Not only did he provide an attacking threat, running in between the lines and half spaces but he was also tracking back and chasing down defenders in order to win the ball back for his side.

Slot wants a facilitator and a goal-scorer in that no.9 position. Someone who will make runs and divert the opposition's attention. Diaz is that kind of player.

He'll also work really hard out of possession in order to reprise the ball. All of these factors make him Liverpool's perfect no.9.

Slot has made it clear he's a huge fan of Paris Saint Germain's style of play. With Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez coming to Liverpool, he's now going to get those fast overlapping wing-backs that the French side has.

In Wirtz, he'll add creativity and his very own Desire Doue and the final piece of the jigsaw could be Diaz becoming Liverpool's very own Ousmane Dembele.

Because the fact of the matter is that PSG won the Champions League without playing an out-and-out forward. Dembele played as a false nine and it's that role which could be perfect for Diaz.

There's no point taking a risk on someone else, Slot already knows what Diaz can do. And Hughes can wait until next summer when Isak or Alvarez might become more available for Liverpool.