The future of Liverpool winger Luis Diaz is perhaps one of the most uncertain going into the Arne Slot era. His latest comments while on international duty, however, seem to shed some light on where he’ll be next season.
With the departures of both Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders—who is believed to have been instrumental in his signing—from Liverpool, speculation about Diaz’s future with the Reds has intensified.
The Colombian winger is currently a hot commodity in football. Ever since his £37.5-million move to Anfield from FC Porto in January 2022, he has become a standout performer for both Liverpool and the Colombia national team.
Now, strong rumours suggest Catalan giants Barcelona are interested in the 27-year-old, although no formal offer has been made by the Catalan club.
Likewise, French champions Paris Saint-Germain have also been credited with an interest as they search for a replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who has finally completed his protracted move to Real Madrid.
Luis Diaz is ‘very happy’ at Liverpool
Speaking to Gol Caracol after Colombia’s friendly against the United States, Diaz addressed the speculation surrounding his future.
“I’m very happy at Liverpool,” he said. “It’s a great team and club, and I always wanted to play there. So, I’m content and very calm about everything.”
Despite ongoing chatter about a potential transfer, Diaz chose not to delve into the details of a possible move to Barcelona, instead opting to concentrate on his current commitments with Colombia and the ambition to win the Copa America, which kicks off on June 20.
“I’m not thinking about anything else; I am focused on the Colombia national team where we are now.”
Diaz out of reach for Barcelona
Díaz’s current contract with Liverpool runs until 2027. However, this would imply that Barcelona would need to offer a substantial sum to secure his transfer.
Mundo Deportivo recently reported that Barcelona’s plan might involve selling Brazilian winger Raphinha, who is also under contract until 2027 and has received multiple offers, to fund the acquisition of Diaz.
According to that report, Barcelona sporting director Deco sees Diaz as an ideal fit for the left wing, where Barcelona currently lack a natural winger.
However, according to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, while Barcelona may be huge admirers of Diaz, they face significant obstacles in their pursuit of him this summer.
“For Luis Diaz, it’s true that Barcelona really like the player, but they are also very realistic,” he said.
“At the moment, it’s almost impossible for Barca to make it happen unless their situation with Financial Fair Play changes in a super positive way in the next weeks.”