Barcelona have a player on their book who Liverpool have been looking to sign.
Liverpool have a lot of big decisions to make this summer as they prepare for what could be a significant squad overhaul.
While Trent Alexander-Arnold is definitely leaving the club, speculation is picking up over other potential departures. Darwin Nunez could also be headed for the door, with lack of game time and form stacking heavily against him and his hefty transfer fee.
While Liverpool are likely to part ways with fringe players in order to make way for new signings, there is a chance they will sell starting stars as well. Rumours have been doing the rounds since Arne Slot arrived on Merseyside and after two relatively quiet transfer windows, many are expecting a significant summer.
Will Liverpool sell Luis Diaz this summer?
One of the topics being discussed as the Premier League season draws to a close is whether Liverpool will keep hold of Luis Diaz or not. Following Jurgen Klopp’s departure, rumours linking Diaz with an exit ramped up, as he reportedly no longer felt fully comfortable at the club.
Barcelona have been on the scene for Diaz for months now and that interest remains as the summer window approaches. Diaz’s father also told the media last year that moving to the Blaugrana would be his son’s dream.
While the idea of Diaz moving to Barcelona has been flirted with for a while now, it remains to be seen if the Colombian will leave Liverpool or not. Recent reports have claimed the winger’s representatives are due to discuss potential new terms with Liverpool but an exit has not been fully ruled out.
As things stand, Diaz is a key player for the Reds but Spanish outlet Fichajes has reported that Liverpool have set an asking price of €80 million (£67m) and are not willing to settle for less than that amount.
The report goes on to say that while Barcelona are eager to sign Diaz, Liverpool’s quote is too high for them to reach. Barca are said to be ‘exploring different ways’ to make signing the Colombian possible, including offering up players in the deal.
If the La Liga giants are willing to table an offer of a player-plus-cash deal, there is an outcome that could pique Liverpool’s interest.
Liverpool could entertain Barcelona player swap deal
The Reds have a long-standing interest in Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong. Should the club be willing to include him in an offer for Diaz, there could be an agreement to be reached.
De Jong is a highly regarded midfielder by many and earlier this month, reports in Spain claimed Liverpool were willing to pay €40 million (£34m) to bring the Dutchman to Anfield. De Jong’s contract with Barca is due to expire next summer so the club must use this time to strike a deal for him, or risk losing him for free next summer.
Barcelona are eager to sign Diaz and this may be the only way they can negotiate with Liverpool. If the initial asking price is too high, the Catalonians could tempt the Reds with a De Jong plus cash offer. It may still be a decent chunk of cash required to get a deal over the line, but it will be significantly less by including a target Liverpool are keen on.
De Jong is admired around the world and earned hefty praise from Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi recently, after his side knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League. The Italian powerhouses reached the tournament final after eliminating the five-time champions in an exhilarating 7-6 aggregate semi.
“A lot has been said about Lamine Yamal, but I have seen another extraordinary player in action. Frenkie de Jong impressed me just as much as Yamal. I would not want to trade any of my players, but De Jong was truly sensational in the two matches,” Inzaghi told Sky Sports (via OneFootball).
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