Liverpool in talks to signal new Diaz for large cash

The World Cup is over, and it’ll now be one month till the Premier League returns, with Liverpool determined to roar again to life as title contenders.

Andoni Iraola is warming to his new job as Liverpool head coach, tasked with restoring the ‘rock and roll’ temper to Anfield after such a dour and deflating decline below Arne Slot’s wing.

Liverpool haven’t but dominated the switch market as they did final 12 months, however FSG are intent on strengthening additional, with Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz already having bolstered the squad.

Munoz is a dynamic and flashy winger, and the hope, maybe, is that he’ll restore one thing of Luis Diaz to a Liverpool frontline who went fairly stale in his absence final 12 months.

Why Liverpool offered Luis Diaz

Hindsight generally is a horrible factor, a lens via which you must stare at your errors. For Liverpool, the choice to promote Diaz and the following resolution to chorus from changing him with a like-for-like winger created huge issues for Slot and co.

Diaz, 29, joined Liverpool from Porto in a deal rising to £49m in January 2022, and he scored 41 targets and provided 23 assists throughout 148 video games. He by no means hit the identical heights as Sadio Mane earlier than him, however the Colombian was undoubtedly a key cog in a title-winning machine.

Diaz has bloomed into a brand new type of attacker at Bayern. His tempo and efficiency and unwavering depth lend themselves to superstardom within the Bundesliga. He’s afforded extra time to strut his stuff with the German giants, who dominate 12 months on 12 months.

However he’s nonetheless a sensation, somebody who notched 25 targets involvements in 2024/25 when Liverpool lifted the Premier League with Slot. Throughout 51 matches with Bayern, although, he has posted 26 targets and 23 assists.

Revisionism is the simple lens via which the Diaz sale may very well be considered. However Diaz is pushing 30, and Bayern provided £65.5m to take him off Liverpool’s arms forward of the penultimate 12 months of his contract.

The deadly flaw in Slot and FSG’s grasp plan, nonetheless, was to put a lot effort and time and cash into signing Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak with out addressing the lack of stability and fluency that Diaz offered down the left. Cody Gakpo has struggled in a job of better import.

Now, Iraola must make issues proper, and he can try this by easing the load of expectation on the younger Munoz by signing a worldwide sensation to switch Diaz.

How Liverpool might lastly substitute Diaz

Munoz, a World Cup champion with Spain, has solely simply turned 23 years previous, and he’s comparatively inexperienced. He can play throughout the frontline, however to anticipate him to hit Diaz and Mane-esque heights from the get-go could be considerably silly.

And with that in thoughts, it is vital that FSG proceed to knock doorways down of their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, with TEAMtalk confirming that talks for the French ahead are ongoing, however that Manchester United are growing a vested curiosity of their very own.

The 23-year-old is rapidly rising as one of many highest-profile forwards on this planet, and PSG are anticipated to demand £128m for his signature this summer season. Whether or not they persist with that exorbitant determine is one other query, although.

In regard to Liverpool, we all know a number of issues. We all know that FSG take into account the Frenchman a prime goal, and we all know that they’d not pay a price in extra of the British-record £125m that roped Isak over to Anfield final summer season. We additionally know that non-public phrases won’t be a difficulty, with Barcola on the lookout for a outstanding function at an elite outfit.

He’s nearly there. Barcola is principally a left-sided attacker, however he’s snug on the proper, the place he leans extra into the artistic aspect of his recreation, right-footed as he’s. This can be a budding “famous person”, in response to Liverpool author Dave Hendrick, somebody who might fill a Salah-shaped gap subsequent 12 months and past.

He’s nonetheless growing, however he may simply be the Diaz improve that Liverpool want. Their former sensation was not at his sharpest for Colombia this summer season, despite the fact that he performed an vital function for the South American aspect.

Barcola nonetheless has loads to work on, however he’s naturally prolific, medical in a manner that Liverpool might want to assist fight the departure of Mohamed Salah, whose contract expired at the beginning of the month.

Throughout the previous two years with PSG, the Les Bleus man has scored 34 targets and provided 28 assists, essential in profitable back-to-back Champions Leagues and a wealth of home silverware apart from.

Diaz could be driving the crest of a wave over in Germany, however we all know that he by no means sustained these heights for Liverpool. Barcola, nonetheless, is getting higher and higher; six years Diaz’s junior, he may simply be a world-class participant within the making, far outperforming Diaz at Anfield and really cementing himself as a talisman for Iraola’s outfit.