Arne Slot could help the overlooked Liverpool forward step out of Darwin Nunez’s shadow

Cody Gakpo’s hopes of winning the Euro 2024 Golden Boot were ended by the Netherlands’ semi-final defeat to England on Wednesday.

The Liverpool forward is the joint-leading scorer in the tournament with three goals, alongside Harry Kane, Spain’s Dani Olmo, Germany’s Jamal Musiala, Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze and Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz. However, with the Spaniard boasting two assists heading into Sunday’s final, he is currently on course to lift the prize. As a result, the only player who can pip him now is Kane, should the Three Lions striker outscore him in Berlin. He could technically also win the prize with a hat-trick of assists, should the pair finish level on goals and Olmo doesn’t claim an assist himself.

But if they finished level at the top of both charts, RB Leipzig’s man would come out on top with it already guaranteed that he will finish the tournament having played less minutes than England’s captain.

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp speaks out after confirming his new role with Liverpool

READ MORE: I traveled across five countries in 20 hours and still don’t have an answer to Arne Slot’s question

In truth, Gakpo had looked on course to win the prize himself for much of the tournament, having been one of the overall stars of Euro 2024, netting against Poland, Austria and Romania and having a winner against Turkey taken off him and given as an own goal. Yet Olmo has stormed to the top of the reckoning courtesy of netting in all three knock-out rounds.

Gakpo might not get his hands on any such honors this time, but this summer’s European Championships will mark his second-successive international tournament when he has been one of the most prolific marksmen. He also scored three times at the 2022 World Cup, with the only European player to net more than Gakpo – six in 11 games – across the past two major international tournaments is France’s Kylian Mbappe, with nine in 12 games.

While the Dutchman’s World Cup showings came as a central attacking option, his displays at Euro 2024 have come purely on the left flank. Consequently, it has led to an ongoing debate regarding his utilization back at Liverpool and whether he should make a permanent switch back to his favored wide position. New head coach Arne Slot already knows where he intends to field Gakpo this season, although he plans to speak to the player himself before disclosing such information publicly.

Admittedly, the debate regarding whether Gakpo should be moved to the left-wing has been triggered, in part, by uncertainty regarding Luis Diaz’s future. The Colombian continues to be linked with a move to Barcelona, ​​and after the Reds were offered the opportunity to sign Anthony Gordon by Newcastle United last month, it would be no surprise if there were to be changes in the position at Anfield before the transfer window closes on August 30.

Given speculation linking Diaz with Barcelona is long-standing, supporters have grown prepared for the possibility of the popular 27-year-old potentially moving on. Consequently, it would not be seen as detrimental as previous big-name exits by the club’s passionate fanbase. After all, one criticism that has dogged Diaz since joining Liverpool as Sadio Mane’s long-term successor is his output in front of goal.

He was the lowest-scoring of the Reds’ five senior forwards with 13 goals, eight of which came in the Premier League, despite making the second-most starts in Jurgen Klopp’s entire squad with 42 (from 51 overall appearances). Such a goal return is his best from two and a half seasons at Anfield, yet it is equal to Mane’s Liverpool worst.

Meanwhile, having joined the club a year before Gakpo, he has only scored only once more for the Reds than the Dutchman. Diaz boasts 24 goals and 10 assists from 98 appearances, while the Netherlands international has recorded 23 goals and eight assists from 79 outings.

Of course, there are mitigating factors when it comes to Diaz’s returns. He missed six months of the 2022/23 season with a serious knee injury, while only the player himself will know how much his performances were affected by the shocking kidnapping of his parents in his native Colombia in October 2023.

But it does not take away from the fact that he is Liverpool’s least productive senior forward in terms of cold numbers throughout his Anfield career. And with a footballer’s career only finished, you can debate whether this is as good as it’ll get for the 27-year-old in his peak years, or if there is still more to come.

With the Reds struggling to find the back of the net as their campaign unraveled last time out, there has been a greater scrutiny on such returns. Consequently, it is understandable why Gakpo’s case to play at left-wing ahead of Diaz is being pushed more by some, given the 25-year-old does offer more in front of goal.

However, it has been overlooked that while Gakpo’s performances for his country are championing his cause, Diaz has actually outperformed his club team-mate over his last two major international tournaments – with Colombia failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

The Colombian was the joint-leading goalscorer at Copa America in 2021 with four goals, netting against both Brazil and Argentina in the process, only to miss out on the Golden Boot to Lionel Messi because of his superior assist return. Meanwhile, he netted a further two times at this summer’s iteration of the continental tournament, with only Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez (four) and Venezuela’s Salomon Rondon (three) netting more, and will look to get the better of the former in Sunday’s final.

Consequently, Diaz boasts six goals from his last 10 appearances at two major international tournaments. Evidently, he does have goalscoring returns in his locker, as also demonstrated by a 16-goal half-season return for FC Porto prior to joining the Reds in January 2022. Perhaps it is too early to trade him in just yet.

With Colombia on an incredible 28-game unbeaten run, dating back to February 2022, the Liverpool wideman will be crucial to extending such a record if they are to get the better of reigning world champions Argentina and being crowned Americas champions on Sunday. Succeed against the odds, and such efforts will surely be enough for onlookers to take notice.

After all, as Kopites praise Gakpo, Diaz has matched his scoring return across his last two tournaments from fewer matches. And while many wanted Darwin Nunez to come out on top of Copa America, ahead of returning to Liverpool with a spring in his step, his Uruguay side lost out to Colombia in the semi-final.

With the Reds’ guaranteed a winner in Sunday’s final, Diaz could now succeed where both Gakpo and Nunez fell short should he end up winning the continental tournament, having already gone further than both by reaching the final.

Given Slot’s track-record for improving strikers, plenty has been made of how he could improve Nunez at Anfield. While the Uruguayan scored 18 goals for the Reds last season, only Erling Haaland recorded more big chances missed (34) in the Premier League than the striker’s return of 27.

But perhaps he could have a similar impact on Diaz too, with the Colombian spurning 13 such chances in the most recent campaign, third behind Mohamed Salah (17) in the Liverpool squad. Boasting clear room for improvement, the Dutchman could be the man to unlock more from the Reds’ number seven.

Speculation linking Diaz with Barcelona will no doubt continue throughout the summer, with his future set to be resolved one way or the other following the Copa America. But just because Gakpo has shone at Euro 2024, Liverpool bosses won’t be forgetting Diaz’s own talents should the Reds manage to retain his services.