Conceicao ‘displeased’ as Liverpool agree deal for ‘excited’ winger

Sergio Conceicao is not happy with the Porto hierarchy after they agreed to let Luis Diaz leave and join Liverpool, according to reports.

The Reds are looking to push through a transfer which would see them pay an initial £37.5million with a maximum of £12.5m in add-ons if the 25-year-old is hugely successful at the club.

The PA news agency understands the Colombia international was manager Jurgen Klopp’s first choice for a summer transfer but growing interest from specifically Manchester United forced them to move early.

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Tottenham have also been linked with the player, but it is understood United interim manager Ralf Rangnick had expressed a significant interest in bringing the player to Old Trafford and Liverpool responded by bringing forward their plans.

However, there remains a significant number of hurdles to overcome – not least that the player is currently preparing to play for Colombia against Peru on Friday evening.

Liverpool are flying a team out to Argentina – where Colombia’s next scheduled match is on Tuesday- to expedite the deal but a medical is already a considerable logistical issue due to the limited time available.

Should the deal come off – and the club remain cautious about that prospect – it would be a huge coup for Julian Ward, who succeeds sporting director Michael Edwards in the summer, as this is the first transfer he has taken the lead on.

And Portuguese newspaper A Bola claim that Porto boss Conceicao is ‘displeased’ that the hierarchy at the club chose to accept a deal for Diaz without his blessing.

Porto are currently leading a title charge in the Primeira Liga with Conceicao’s men six points ahead of Sporting Lisbon and nine points in front of third-placed Benfica.

A Bola reckon ‘everything should be settled over the weekend’ with the Portuguese side needing to accept a deal in the ‘face of financial difficulties’.

Neither Diaz or Porto were ‘particularly seduced’ by the offer put forward by Tottenham last week with the winger ‘believing he could reach a higher level’.

Despite Liverpool offering well below his €80m release clause, Porto have accepted and Diaz is now ‘excited’ to join up with Klopp’s outfit.