Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)placeholder image
Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool have done a lot of early work buying players but could a high profile departure be on the card.
The hard work has been done. Liverpool are stronger now than when the transfer window opened and there are still months left of it to run.
It is the ultimate goal for any manager to see the crux of their business done early and the Reds’ board and Richard Hughes have performed admirably amid a Club World Cup and international break to get the targets over the line.
The two obvious positions that need to be addressed next will be signing a No.9 and, probably, a centre-half. The latter is needed due to Jarell Quansah’s departure to Bayer Leverkusen and Ibrahima Konate’s contract situation with a new striker an almost certainty if Darwin Nunez moves to Napoli as many are predicting.
Is Luis Diaz to Barcelona going to happen?
Liverpool are in no rush to sell the Colombian forward, Slot trusts the 27-year old and there have been no questions about his availability or form in terms of what he brings to the attack to the extent that £72m offers from Saudi Arabia were rejected.
Barcelona are a different proposition, however, as they near the signing of Nico Williams, Phil McNulty asked the question on The Athletic’s football podcast:
“Do they need any more? Well, Luis Diaz is the one that interests me at Liverpool, A, because he surely won't be that cheap, and also because I guess the one thing that Hansi Flick has to be conscious of is not having more attacking players than he can realistically keep happy, and Paul was sort of highlighting that point at which the resources ran very bare at Barcelona, and it was a really problematic period.
‘But they have got a lot of high-calibre footballers, and if you had Diaz to that, another one who would absolutely expect to play.”
The curious case of Diaz to Barcelona links
It is a strange situation with Diaz because the player wants a new contract to extend his stay at Anfield and Liverpool don’t want him to leave either. Deco, Barcelona’s technical director, has named Diaz specifically, and yet there hasn’t been any sort of offer.
Williams’ release clause at Athletic Club is £60m which has to be paid in one payment and Barca’s financial problems are well reported. Liverpool want more than that for Diaz if he is to be sold so it looks like a non-starter from the outset.
Next season could be huge for the Reds’ No.7 too, especially if there is a new centre-forward signed and with Wirtz added in midfield. Diaz has every right to think that there will be more chances for him to score goals whilst also having less pressure on him to create chances and finish them too.
Despite winning the league at a canter, next season could be even better for Liverpool, why would anyone who is a key player want to leave that?
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