Luis Diaz Liverpool Anfield
Liverpool Anfield
Deco has formally admitted that Barcelona ‘like’ Luis Diaz and this statement has more or less confirmed that the Blaugrana are making a strong push to sign Luis Diaz from Liverpool.
Barcelona have been linked with Diaz for more than a year and with Hansi Flick eager to strengthen his forward line, the club will try to sign him once again in the summer. Diaz is very happy at Liverpool, particularly after winning the Premier League but he considers Barcelona his dream move and is willing to make the switch to Camp Nou.
Liverpool are reluctant to lose such an important player which is why they have set an unrealistic price tag of €80 million. The Reds are hoping that Barcelona’s financial woes will force them to back out but there’s a fair chance that the Reds might end up losing the 28-year-old.
Barcelona might get their man, even at €80 million:
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha have been sensational this season so one would think Barcelona do not need a new winger. However, Hansi Flick wants to add depth to the wide areas and because Luis Diaz can also double up as a centre-forward, the manager is even more desperate to bring him on board.
Last season, Barca had significantly struggled to register Dani Olmo in the La Liga and they are still working on sorting out a lot of their finances.
However, some reports are suggesting that the Catalans will be able to abide by the rules this season and they will also get a significant transfer budget for the summer.
The club will get an injection of funds due to the La Liga win, through performance bonuses and they are planning to generate a large chunk from player sales. Players like De Jong, Ansu Fati, Araujo, Inaki Pena, Fermin Lopez are all going to be sold and that should help balance the finances to a large extent.
As the transfer window comes closer, it looks extremely likely that Barcelona will have the funds to make a move for Luis Diaz and if they can put money on the table there’s no way Liverpool will be able to resist a sale.
Luis Diaz very clearly wants a move to Spain and currently, the only thing that’s keeping him at Anfield is Barcelona’s inability to meet the asking price.
Arne Slot will certainly not be pleased if he has to lose a top player like Diaz but if Liverpool can bring in adequate reinforcements, the manager won’t mind too much. Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota can play on the left flank, and Liverpool can use the €80 million to sign a new winger and also a world-class centre-forward.