From the day Luis Diaz’s father revealed that his dream was to play for Barcelona, a move to Spain seemed unlikely, but here the transfer talk has become a reality: the extension of his current contract until June 2027 has stalled and his performances in the second half of the season have not satisfied manager Arne Slot.
The Colombian international, who is breaking new ground not only as a left winger in his main position but also as a centre forward, is in his prime for his age and has the stamina to run until the end of the game with his unique rhythm of dribbling through the middle, without neglecting his defensive response.
Lamine Yamal on the right wing, Dani Olmo in the middle, Raphinha on the left wing and Robert Lewandowski in the front line. The Liverpool winger is sure to be a valuable asset in order to compete regularly with them and survive the overcrowded schedule.
According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Deco, who is sporting director at Barcelona, sees Luis Diaz as a player who fits the bill in an economically constrained market and has made informal contact with the player’s entourage.
However, he is not the first choice. Swedish international Alexander Isak, who has shown his outstanding scoring ability at Newcastle United, is reportedly the top priority, but it is extremely difficult to compete with a price tag of over €120 million, so Diaz has run up the list as a realistic target.
His contract is nearing the end of its two-year term and has not been renewed. The Liverpool winger is financially attractive to Barcelona, in addition to his ability, but a redundancy would be the first step in balancing the financial situation.
Barcelona are reportedly considering an offer of between €70 million and €75 million, and are reportedly starting to work out the funds to make the player available for registration next season.
So will the Colombian forward get his wish to join Barcelona or will he stay at Anfield…?