Liverpool winger Luis Diaz is pressuring the Reds to cut their asking price in half in order to engineer a move to Barcelona, according to reports.
The Reds were crowned Premier League champions at the end of April with Arne Slot achieving the title in his first campaign at Anfield.
And Liverpool are now pressing ahead with their transfer business with Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong passing a medical earlier this week to replace Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold.
A report has claimed that Liverpool want to make another five signings after Frimpong, with the Netherlands international’s Leverkusen team, mate, Florian Wirtz, looking likely to be next in the building.
Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg confirmed on Saturday that Liverpool have already ‘agreed’ personal terms with Wirtz and now it’s up to the club to agree a fee with Leverkusen.
But there are likely to be more exits this summer too, in order to make way for the new arrivals, and Liverpool winger Diaz, who has 13 goals and five assists in 35 Premier League appearances this term.
READ:Mailbox: Man Utd finances in ‘really big trouble’ as Amorim needs ’12 players’; Wirtz transfer = title 21 for Liverpool
And now reports in Spain claim that the Colombia international is ‘pushing to leave Liverpool’ this summer with Barcelona boss Hansi Flick ‘seeing him as the perfect fit to complete the attacking trident alongside Lamine Yamal and [Robert] Lewandowski’.
The ‘clear obstacle to the deal’ remains Liverpool’s asking price for the winger as they have valued him at €80m and ‘even a €60m outlay seems complicated for the Catalan club, which is still struggling to adjust its salary scale and comply with LaLiga’s financial fair play requirements.’
But ‘the will of the player’ is ‘one factor that could change everything’ and Diaz’s ‘entourage has already begun to make moves’.
The Liverpool winger has ‘internally communicated his desire to play for Barcelona , a long-held aspiration that he now sees as a real opportunity’.
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Diaz is ‘aware of Barca’s financial situation and knows they won’t be able to meet the figures Liverpool are demanding’ and he ‘has begun to pressure the English club to accept a transfer for an amount close to €40m’.
Barcelona consider that amount ‘more reasonable and manageable if they can activate certain sales or additional income’ after Diaz ‘recently rejected offers of a renewal with Liverpool’.
Diaz is ‘working behind the scenes to pave the way’ for a transfer in the summer and if Liverpool are willing to accept €40-45m then Barcelona will be ‘ready to act’.
Liverpool legend Jan Molby revealed his confusion earlier this year about whether Diaz was settled or unsettled at Anfield after some quotes from his family.
Molby said: “The Luis Diaz thing is a bit strange. Is he settled or is he unsettled? We’ve heard quotes from his family and he was looking at Barcelona at one stage.
“I do think the majority of the players will want to stay at Anfield because you know what you’ve got at the club.”
And the Liverpool great reckons Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon would be a good replacement if he does leave, Molby added: “Anthony Gordon is a terrific player and look at the improvement in his game. At Everton he was good but inconsistent. He went level up at Newcastle and has done really well.
“With his pace and work rate plus consistency would be great. It’d be like bringing him home. He’s from the city of Liverpool so it’d be one hell of a deal.”