Barcelona have made contact with Liverpool to see if they can sign Luis Diaz this summer, David Ornstein has confirmed.
Diaz has been linked with Barcelona ever since his father said the transfer would be a ‘dream’ for him in November 2023. The LaLiga and Copa del Rey champions are in the market for a new winger to help out Raphinha and Lamine Yamal and have added Diaz to their shortlist alongside Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli and Kingsley Coman of Bayern Munich.
The Spanish press has regularly talked up the chances of Diaz heading to Barcelona, but whether there is any truth in such links has been unclear – until now.
Ornstein has revealed that Barca have made an ‘approach’ to gauge Liverpool’s stance over selling the attacker in the coming weeks.
Barca have been boosted by the fact Diaz’s Liverpool contract expires in June 2027 and there is ‘little expectation of a fresh agreement’.
However, the Blaugrana will likely have to look elsewhere to improve their forward line.
Liverpool have ‘rebuffed’ Barca’s approach. They are ‘unequivocal’ in their stance that he is ‘not for sale’.
Head coach Arne Slot wants to use Diaz regularly in the 2025-26 campaign and Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes does not plan to deprive him of such a versatile attacking option.
The player himself has so far ‘given no indication’ he wants to leave. Unless that or Liverpool’s stance changes, then Diaz will be playing under Slot next season.
Ornstein adds that Liverpool have tried to address Diaz’s contract situation but ‘progress has not materialised’ despite several rounds of talks.
As things stand, Liverpool would be happy to keep the wide man and use him for the next two years before letting him leave for free in 2027, at which stage he will be 30.
Ornstein also confirms that Diaz has ‘admirers’ in Saudi Arabia, after it was revealed on May 31 that Al-Nassr hold concrete interest in him.
But according to Ornstein, Liverpool would want a huge fee to let Diaz go to the Middle East as they are using Al-Hilal’s £100million (€119m / $136m) bid for Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes as a benchmark.
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Liverpool adopt surprise contract stance
Trusted Liverpool source Paul Joyce revealed on Wednesday that the Reds are ‘perplexed’ by the rumours surrounding Diaz as they are ‘not actively looking to sell’ him.
Joyce was the first to reveal that Liverpool are surprisingly not currently looking to do anything regarding Diaz’s situation. They are not pushing him out the exit door but are also no longer prepared to offer him a new deal.
The fact Diaz is only on £55,000 a week on Merseyside means he could seek a mega-money switch to Saudi Arabia once his Liverpool contract expires.
He could also secure a handy pay bump if signing for Barcelona via free agency too, though that is a topic for 2027 and not now.
For Barca, they may now have to ramp up talks for either Rashford or Coman after receiving a firm no from Liverpool over Diaz.
Rashford’s agent, Dwaine Maynard, was recently pictured meeting Barca sporting director Deco to discuss a potential move away from United.
The main problem for Barca is they will struggle to meet United’s £40m (€47.5m / $54m) asking price for Rashford without selling at least one or two players first.
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