Diogo Jota's season has been a peculiar one.
The Portuguese forward began the season as Liverpool's first-choice striker under Arne Slot, even netting the first goal of the Dutchman's tenure at Ipswich. However, he only managed to score once more in the Premier League before an injury against Chelsea in mid-October halted his progress.
Despite scoring a late equalizer on his return against Fulham two months later, his season never truly got back on track. There were still moments of brilliance, naturally. A crucial equalizer at Nottingham Forest and the decisive goal in the Anfield Merseyside derby come to mind.
However, these were Jota's only goals against Premier League opposition in 2025. The 28-year-old ended the season with nine goals from 37 appearances, marking his second-lowest return since his move to English football in 2017.
Liverpool is now eyeing a new center-forward this summer, casting uncertainty over Jota's future. While it's not as likely that he'll depart as fellow striker Darwin Nunez, it's been a frustrating individual campaign for Jota, who found himself primarily in a back-up role following his return from injury.
Of course, the broader perspective is that he still finished the season as a Premier League champion, adding to his two League Cup winners' medals and 2022 FA Cup triumph.
Diogo Jota
Jota is now a two-time Nations League winner (Image: Getty Images)
And he's added yet another trophy to his collection with Portugal after the country clinched the Nations League on Sunday. Jota has found himself frequently warming the bench for Portugal since Roberto Martinez took over in January 2023, with just five starts in 20 appearances under the Spaniard's management.
Despite an ongoing 11-match goalless streak for his national side that stretches back to last June before Euro 2024, Jota's impact off the bench was felt during the Nations League finals. He played a mere 22 minutes across the tournament, entering late in the semifinal against Germany and then again in extra time of the final versus Spain.
Portugal emerged victorious in the final, winning 5-4 on penalties following a 2-2 draw, with Jota not stepping up for a penalty despite being part of the 2019 Nations League-winning squad.
The Liverpool forward's personal contribution may have been limited, but his team spirit remained unshaken as he expressed his gratitude on X post-victory, posting a photo with the trophy and captioning it: "With you by our side, everything is possible. Thank you, Portugal!"
Jota's pride in his achievements is evident on his X profile, where his pinned tweet features him lifting the Premier League trophy draped in a Portugal flag, alongside the words: "No. 20. Meant to be. #YNWA."
As a beloved figure among the Anfield faithful, Liverpool supporters are eager to see Jota return from his international exploits reinvigorated and ready to tackle the upcoming season.
However, having been unable to play a significant part in either victory, this could give Jota additional incentive to make his mark next season.
In the meantime, Ibrahima Konate remained on the bench as France secured third place in the Nations League after defeating Germany 2-0, courtesy of goals from Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise.
Following criticism of the Liverpool defender after France's semifinal defeat to Spain, he was one of eight alterations Didier Deschamps made for the third-place playoff.