The price for which Liverpool are willing to sell Luis Diaz has been reported in Spain, while two potential new centre-back targets have been mentioned by a local journalist.
Today’s Main LFC Headline
Speculation over Diaz’s future has continued for another day, with the Colombian’s price tag being reported in Spain.
Catalan newspaper Sport stated that Liverpool would only be willing to sell “for a minimum guaranteed fee of €82 million (£71m).”
That is far higher than the £44.8m bid by Bayern, according to BILD.
The German paper reiterated that, according to sources in Spain, Diaz has a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with Liverpool that he could leave for about £69m.
That would closer match the £71m cited in the Catalan press and is a more realistic figure that Diaz’s suitors could expect to pay.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are said to have “not yet officially approached Liverpool with an offer, but they have maintained contact with the player’s agents,” report Sport.
When asked where his future lies, on July 4, Diaz told Win Sports: “We don’t know yet. We’re talking but I’m calm where I am. We’re there talking about things.”
Read more here
Today’s Liverpool FC News
• Liverpool are still keen on signing a young defender, with Parma’s Giovanni Leoni and Wolfsburg’s Konstantinos Koulierakis both having been watched, according to David Lynch
• The Merseyside journalist also said that he expects the Reds’ new 20-year-old goalkeeper, Armin Pecsi, to travel with the first team on their pre-season tour of Asia
• Former club captain Jordan Henderson is set to return to the Premier League after two years away at Al-Ettifaq and Ajax, with the 35-year-old now agreeing a move to Brentford
More from This Is Anfield
Ahead of Liverpool’s first friendly, Henry Jackson wrote about eight players who have a point to prove in pre-season and where they could sit in Arne Slot‘s mind come August:
“Ben Doak‘s future continues to be a key talking point at Liverpool, following a season out on loan at Middlesbrough.
“The 19-year-old has even been linked with a shock move to Everton, but now is an opportunity for him to show that he can be a reliable squad player for the Reds.”
READ: 8 Liverpool players with a point to prove this pre-season
Elsewhere in the football world today
• UEFA have ruled that Crystal Palace be demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League, and BBC Sport report that Nottingham Forest “could replace” the FA Cup winners – seems very unfair given the amount of rule-breaking that ‘bigger’ clubs get away with
• The 28-year-old former Liverpool player, Jordon Ibe, is on trial with Umea in the Swedish second division – Bournemouth bought him from the Reds for £15m in 2016
• Speaking of ex-players, Andre Wisdom has signed for eighth-tier FC United of Manchester at the age of 32 – he has had a fragmented career and was stabbed in 2020 during a robbery
Planned Diogo Jota tributes at Preston
The family of Diogo Jota have, on Friday evening, visited Anfield with the Liverpool squad to see the tributes left by supporters for Jota and his brother, Andre Silva.
Ahead of Sunday’s friendly, Preston have requested all supporters to be in their seats by 2.45pm, 15 minutes before kick-off, as singer Claudia Rose Maguire will perform Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling In Love and Liverpool’s You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Representatives of Liverpool and Preston – likely including captain Virgil van Dijk – will lay wreaths in front of the away end, known as the Bill Shankly Kop.
Deepdale will observe a minute’s silence before kick-off while tributes will be displayed on the big screen and pitchside LEDs.
Both Liverpool and Preston players will wear black armbands to mark the loss of Jota and his younger brother, Andre.
