Liverpool are willing to let Luis Diaz run down his contract, according to The Athletic reporter David Ornstein.
The journalist has revealed an enquiry was made by Barcelona for the Colombian international on Wednesday but he says the Reds are open to keeping him until his current deal expires in 2027:
“At Diaz’s age, their current preference would be to maximise his performance value – even if that means exiting as a free agent”.
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The only thing that would change that stance is if the Merseyside club receive an offer that is too good to turn down.
Contract talks with Diaz have stalled
It is believed that sporting director Richard Hughes and FSG’s CEO Michael Edwards have made fresh attempts to tie down the winger to a contract extension.
However, Diaz is reportedly unhappy that he is one of the lowest-paid players in the first-team squad (£55,000 a week) and he wants to be rewarded with a lucrative deal which the Reds are not prepared to give him.
How much would Liverpool sell Diaz for?
Even though the club rebuffed Barcelona’s enquiry, that is probably because they know the Catalan club cannot afford to match their asking price.
Ornstein claims Al-Hilal’s willingness to pay £80m to £100m for Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes has set the standard. The Reds feel Diaz is worth a similar amount to the Portuguese international, who is two years older. It means that, unless a team (most likely from Saudi Arabia) offers such a fee, the Colombian will remain at Anfield.
Considering the time left on his contract, his value will begin to depreciate soon, and the likelihood of him leaving the club in a similar manner to Trent Alexander-Arnold increases.
Read more as we look at the four strikers that Liverpool could target before the summer transfer window closes