Liverpool will reportedly have to offer Luis Diaz a new bumper contract if they want to keep the Colombian forward this summer. The Colombian forward has long been linked with a move to Barcelona, and has previously made no secret of his admiration for the La Liga champions.
Speculation over his future has mounted since the Reds sealed the signing of Florian Wirtz in a deal potentially worth £116.5million. Arne Slot’s recruitment drive isn’t done there, with Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez also expected to move to Anfield once the Wirtz transfer is officially confirmed. Jeremie Frimpong has already arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in a £29.5m deal, while Georgian keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to complete his pre-arranged switch from Valencia.
The Reds have also been linked with big-money moves for Anthony Gordon and Julian Alvarez. To fund their summer spending spree, a number of players are also expected to leave the Merseyside club.
Despite the need to offset fees, the club seemingly wants to keep Diaz. According to Sport, Barca has been in talks with the Premier League champions over a potential deal, with Liverpool insisting they want a £68m fee for the star. They claim that Liverpool have 'no choice' but to offer Diaz a huge new contract or consider selling him.
However, with just two years left on his contract, the Catalan giants are refusing to offer anything in excess of £51m. They are also said to be prepared to offer a significant increase on his current £55,000-a-week wages at Liverpool.
The Reds have also reportedly offered Diaz a new contract with improved terms. However, with the former Porto man keen to head to Spain, club bosses now appear to have been left with little choice but to significantly increase their wage proposal to keep him.
Diaz arrived at the club in January 2022 in a deal worth £37.5m. He’s since played 148 games for the club, scoring 41 times, and played a key role in last season’s title win.
In November 2023, he publicly thanked Liverpool staff and fans following the release of his father, Luis, from a kidnapping ordeal. He missed a Premier League game against Nottingham Forest during the ordeal, with team-mate Diogo Jota holding up a Diaz shirt after scoring in a show of support.