Liverpool could face a battle to keep one man who’s been crucial to the Reds’ Premier League title success this season.
While one prolific forward in Mo Salah is safely contracted for two more years, despite ongoing Saudi Pro League overtures, another who’s contributed plenty of goals at Anfield also finds himself being coveted by clubs from the Middle East.
Al-Hilal hoping to test Liverpool’s resolve for Luis Diaz
According to CaughtOffside, Al-Hilal are targeting a summer raid for Luis Diaz and may be hoping to turn FSG’s heads with a lucrative offer for the 28-year-old.
Arne Slot is determined to retain the Colombian, but it’s claimed that Liverpool chiefs could consider a sale if they were to receive a proposal to the value of €80m (£68m).
The aforementioned Saudi club are prepared to pay big to land the ex-Porto winger, and a megabucks bid could serously test the Merseysiders’ resolve, but the Reds would likely need to have a replacement brought in if they were to countenance parting with their number 7.
Liverpool must remain true to ‘not for sale’ stance on Diaz
Having paid an initial £37.5m (potentially rising to £50m) for a 25-year-old Diaz (BBC Sport), pragmatists may argue that selling him for nearly £70m when he’s in his late 20s could represent a logical transaction, but it isn’t hard to understand why Slot would see it rather differently.
Despite a dip in form between January and April, the Colombian has still plundered 16 goals for Liverpool this season – a tally bettered only by Salah and Cody Gakpo – and nobody outside of those three is into double figures (Transfermarkt).
There have been transfer links with Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman, but he’s a few months older than our number 7 and has a questionable injury record, so it’d make little sense to part with our current left winger just to bring in the Frenchman.
While every footballer ultimately has their price, we fervently hope that FSG will stand their ground with Diaz unless a truly money-spinning offer were to come in for him. Having just secured the Premier League title, the club should be seeking to reinforce from a position of strength rather than disbanding a victorious squad.
