Klopp reveals Luis Diaz debut timeline with ‘really strange’ Liverpool admission; Fabio Carvalho deal latest
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said that Luis Diaz needs time to adapt to his side before making his eagerly-awaited debut.
The Reds snapped the Colombian winger up from Porto late on in the January transfer window. The 25-year-old initially looked like he would be heading to Tottenham, but Liverpool then sprang into action.
Indeed, Klopp said immediately after Diaz signed that he was a target for the summer transfer window.
The forward’s recent international duty has made the deal – and his subsequent trip to Liverpool – more complicated.
However, Klopp has insisted that he is not willing to throw Diaz straight into his team anyway.
“If he would now come, step on the pitch and would immediately be at his absolute best and playing better than all of us, that would be really strange,” the manager told a press conference.
“We [Liverpool] worked together for a while so he needs time of course to adapt to it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t speak about four or five months.
“I haven’t even seen him yet, he’s not been in training – maybe we should wait a little bit!
“We’re really happy and excited about the signing and I think it’s a really good sign that we work on all fronts to improve this team and be successful now and in the future. We can help with both.”
However, a deal for Fulham youngster Fabio Carvalho is one that Liverpool did not get over the line before the January transfer deadline.
The Reds agreed a deal with the Cottagers late on Monday evening. Nevertheless, both sides could not get the paperwork done before the 11pm cut-off.
Fulham boss Marco Silva insisted that Carvalho – who has lit up the Championship this season with seven goals and four assists – was “really happy” despite the transfer’s failure. Silva added that he is delighted his club could keep the teenager until the end of the season.
But his contract expires in the summer and Klopp and Liverpool still have interest in doing a deal.
Klopp rates Fabio Carvalho transfer chances
“I don’t know, we will see. Obviously we are still interested in him, it would be crazy if not,” Klopp said.
“But in the moment it’s not in our hands. Marco said it all in his press conference. It was late before the transfer window closed again and in the end it didn’t work out.
“But we will see what happens.”
Klopp was speaking ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round clash against Cardiff at Anfield.
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