"Will he be happy as a super-sub? I would expect not" - Steve Nicol says Liverpool star may not be happy next season if he is not starting regularly

Liverpool icon Steve Nicol believes Portuguese forward Diogo Jota will not be happy to play a bit-part role for the club during the 2022-23 season. The arrival of Darwin Nunez for an initial fee of around £64 million has jeopardized Jota's place in the starting XI.

Speaking to ESPN FC (via HITC), Steve Nicol was quoted as saying the following:

"Will he be happy as a super-sub? I would expect not. In his mind, if I am him, I am thinking, 'This is a big game for me because I don't want to be coming off the bench all the time.' So I think this is an important year for him."

Diogo Jota was one of Liverpool's unsung heroes during the 2021-22 season. The 25-year-old ended the campaign with 21 goals and eight assists from 55 games across all competitions.

However, Jota's form did drop off towards the end of last season. The Portuguese forward failed to score a single goal in his last seven Premier League appearances last time around.

It is worth mentioning that Diogo Jota did start to lose his place in the starting XI following the arrival of Luis Diaz in the January transfer window.

Diaz was preferred on the left wing with Jurgen Klopp using Sadio Mane as a centre-forward like he did in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Sadio Mane, meanwhile, decided to leave Liverpool and join Bayern Munich in the ongoing transfer window. The Reds replaced the Senegalese forward with Darwin Nunez, who is expected to be their main striker next season.

However, Diogo Jota will surely get his opportunity next season. Just like last season, the Reds will once again try to compete on four fronts, giving Jota plenty of game time.

He needs game time under his belt to be a part of Portugal's squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

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Liverpool lost their first pre-season game to Manchester United

A new-look Liverpool side suffered a massive 4-0 defeat at the hands of rivals Manchester United in Bangkok on July 12.

Goals from Jadon Sancho, Fred, Anthony Martial and Facundo Pellistri saw United make the most of the chances they created, unlike the Reds.

The game saw Liverpool give debuts to new summer signings Fabio Carvalho and Darwin Nunez.

The latter had a great opportunity to score following Mohamed Salah's shot that cannoned off the post. However, the 22-year-old forward was under pressure from Eric Bailly and couldn't convert.