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Paul Merson thinks Arne Slot could start £45m Liverpool player in first game vs Ipswich
Arne Slot could have a selection headache as he prepares to take charge of his first competitive game as Liverpool manager against Ipswich Town.
The Dutchman has already made a positive impression at the club by guiding the Reds to four wins and a draw in five pre-season games and will look to spearhead his side to three points when Liverpool travel to Portman Road to take on Ipswich.
🌊Although Liverpool are yet to sign a player this summer, Slot has a fully-fit squad at his disposal and will aim to get his combination right for his first Premier League game in charge of the club.
And Paul Merson believes Diogo Jota could get the nod over Darwin Nunez against the newly-promoted side.
Paul Merson feels Diogo Jota will spearhead Liverpool attack vs Ipswich Town
ꦡJota led the line for Liverpool in three of their five encounters in pre-season, scoring against Sevilla at Anfield in a 4-1 win.
൩Merson believes the Portuguese international will lead the line for the Reds over Nunez, who arrived late to pre-season training owing to his involvement in the Copa America 2024 with Uruguay.
🌳“Arne Slot might pick Diogo Jota this week. Jota can drop short and link up play cleverly, and Salah is one of Liverpool’s best runners off the ball,” Merson wrote in his weekly column for .
ജ“Darwin Nunez would be better suited for this game, however, because Ipswich will sit back. Liverpool will need to get the ball into the box.”
Jota likely to partner Salah and Luiz Diaz in attack
💃Liverpool are blessed with enough firepower in attack and are likely to start with an attacking trident of Diaz, Jota and Salah against Ipswich Town.
Much like Nunez, Cody Gakpo🅘 also missed a large chunk of pre-season due to his international commitments with the Netherlands at Euro 2024 and featured in just one game, which was the 0-0 draw against Las Palmas last Sunday.
🌃The same could be said about Diaz, but the Colombian was chosen over Gakpo for Liverpool’s friendly against Sevilla, which was widely believed to be their dress rehearsal for the Premier League opener.
💖Jota was signed for £45m in the summer of 2020 [] and has scored 56 goals in 145 appearances for the club.
What next for Liverpool in the transfer window?
൩With just over two weeks left to go for the transfer window to slam shut, the Reds remain in the market for reinforcements.
Martin Zubimendi rejected a move to Liverpoolꦗ after initially being tempted by the prospect of leaving his boyhood club Real Sociedad.
It remains to be seen if the Reds scour the market for a Plan B, while there have also been talks that ꧋Liverpool could rekindle a move for Anthony Gordon🔜 after a £75m transfer broke down earlier in the summer.