Liverpool’s Luis Diaz Decision: Is the £75m Price Tag Enough?

As the end of the season draws near, speculation surrounding the future of a number of Liverpool players is certainly starting to grow. Although the likes of Mo Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have caught the headlines in recent weeks, it now appears to be Luis Diaz’s turn.

The Colombian has enjoyed a fairly impressive yet frustrating spell at Liverpool since his arrival back in January 2022, but he could he heading towards the exit door already. A number of Europe’s elite clubs are reportedly interested in the forward – so that leaves the question of, what does Liverpool do with Diaz?

Diaz’s Contract Situation

Diaz signed a five year contract when joined the club back in 2022, therefore his current deal will officially expire in 2027. Whilst that seems like a long time away, in footballing business, it really isn’t.

Once a player hits the final two years of his contract, the club find themselves in a very fragile position with a high possibility of losing out on a considerable amount of money through player sales. With reports suggesting that no progress has been made in recent months, Liverpool have a big decision to make on this contract situation, whilst also dealing with the likes of Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Salah.

Interested Clubs

Both Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have been linked with a summer move for the winger. Diaz and his family have regularly spoke about their desire to play in Spain, so perhaps Barcelona would be the more appealing destination for the player’s camp. However, the £75million price tag slapped on the Colombian by Liverpool might just be enough to fight off the interest of the Spanish giants – for now, anyways.

However, that price tag certainly doesn’t rule out PSG of this race as they reportedly see Diaz as the perfect replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who is set for a mega-money switch to Real Madrid in the summer. It would certainly be interesting to see what the Anfield faithful would make of a potential £75m fee for the forward.

Liverpool’s Future Tactical Direction

Another key factor in Diaz’s future will undoubtedly be the appointment of Jurgen Klopp’s successor as the German’s nine-year tenure comes to an end this summer. With the appointment of Ruben Amorim looking increasingly likely, many supporters have started to debate how the Portuguese coach could set his side up.

However, Diaz happens to be one of the players who could suffer from a new tactical direction. As Amorim plays with three centre-backs and two wing-back style of players, rather than wingers, Diaz could find himself with a significant drop in game time next season. This could definitely push Diaz further towards a potential exit.

Looking Ahead

If that was to be the case, then pulling in £75m for Diaz would probably be seen as solid business from Liverpool after signing him for just £37million two years ago. I’m actually a massive fan of Diaz and find him incredibly entertaining to watch, but I definitely don’t think he’s an indispensable component of Liverpool’s current squad.

If the money would be invested in someone like a Florian Wirtz, for example, then I think it could be a very clever piece of business for the Reds.