Luis Diaz ‘only thinking about Barca’ with Liverpool forward ‘doing everything’ to seal move
The rumours linking Luis Diaz to Barcelona refuse to go away with a Spansish outlet reporting the Columbian winger is “doing everything” to force through a move to the Camp Nou.
Barcelona have targeted Diaz to bolster their options on the left wing, but so far, Liverpool have been reluctant to sell the player who scored 13 league goals last season.
However, despite the Anfield club’s insistence he is not for sale, Diaz is reported to be angling for a move, having dreamt of moving to the Camp Nou since he was a child.
Mundo Deportivo, a Barcelona-based newspaper, claim he is “only thinking about Barça” and is willing to take a lower salary in order to get the move done.
“Luis Diaz, 28, is only thinking about Barça,” a report on Sunday said. “The Liverpool forward, a childhood fan of the club thanks to his father, has put the brakes on his contract renewal with Liverpool and is doing everything he can to ensure the club can reach an agreement with the Reds.
“He recently confessed that ‘we are talking to clubs’ without directly naming Barça, but that within the club, it was quickly interpreted positively.
“Luis Diaz doesn’t feel valued at Anfield, and now that the Barça option has been presented to him, he’s not willing to let it slip away. He rejected a multi-million-pound offer [from Liverpool] to play at the Spotify Camp Nou.”
Publicly at least, Diaz has not pushed for a move, saying in an interview last week that he was happy at Liverpool.
“I’m very, very happy in Liverpool. From day one, they’ve made me feel really welcome.
“Right now we’re in contact with them because we’re speaking with [other] clubs. It’s normal, the market is open, and we’re trying to sort out what’s best for us.
“I am just waiting to see what happens. If Liverpool doesn’t make a good offer, I still have two years left with them, I would be happy and content to stay there.
“And that’s it — everything depends on them, obviously. It’s up to me to decide what’s best for us and the future.”
MORE ON LIVERPOOL ON F365
👉 Bayern Munich ‘damn it’ reaction to Florian Wirtz loss as senior player tells clubs to ‘do something’
👉 Liverpool star ‘keen on joining’ Atletico as shock target becomes Simeone’s transfer ‘priority’
👉 Man Utd take ‘ambitious first step’ to sign £85m striker as ‘attentive’ Liverpool lurk
Another Spanish publication Sport believe Liverpool would be willing to accept a bid in the region of £68m but that Barcelona were hoping to bring that down to the £43m mark.
If the Catalan club is unsuccessful in their attempt to sign Dias, Mundo Deportivo believes the club has identified three alternatives.
The first would be Nico Williams with the Athletic player a target last summer. Another is Ivan Perisic who at 36 would represent a cheaper option for the club. Head coach Hansi Flick also managed the Croatian whilst at Bayern Munich.
The final option is Marcus Rashford, with the out-of-favour striker having already offered his services to Barcelona in January. In the end, he went to Aston Villa on loan but is expected to leave Old Trafford this summer.
