Liverpool reportedly “have no plans” to complete a swap deal between Luis Diaz and Raphinha, despite another recent update suggesting otherwise.
It has been an incredibly tough period for Diaz, with the kidnapping of his father a shocking story – one that has thankfully finished with a happy ending, following his release.
The 26-year-old Liverpool ace produced a stunning performance for Colombia last week, scoring twice against Brazil to inspire his country to a 2-1 win, with his dad emotionally watching on from the stands.
Diaz could well be a key figure for the Reds when they make the trip to Manchester City this weekend, in what is a huge game in the Premier League title race.
According to a report from Spain, Liverpool are keen on the idea of selling the Colombia winger to Barcelona, bringing Raphinha the other way to make him a new member of Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
Thankfully, that rumour has now been shrugged off by Football Insider, who state that the Merseysiders “have no plans to sanction a swap deal” involving Diaz, instead preferring to keep him at the club.
Liverpool will not “entertain offers” for their flying wide man, no doubt seeing him as an important player moving forward, having scored three Premier League goals so far this season.
Our thoughts on a Diaz-Raphinha swap deal…
It is pleasing to hear that rumours of Diaz’s exit have been quickly shut down, considering what a fantastic player he is, wreaking havoc with his pace and trickery out wide.
Not only is the former Porto star a wonderfully gifted footballer, but he has also shown how much heart he possesses in recent weeks, scoring a late equaliser at Luton Town when everything surrounding his father was going on.
At 26, Diaz still has lots of years ahead of him, so to sell him now would be a ridiculous decision by Liverpool, especially as Raphinha is arguably an inferior option who hasn’t set the world alight at Barcelona.
The Reds’ No.7 is contracted at Anfield until the summer of 2027, and the hope is that he will stay until then, if not longer, given the impact he has made since arriving in January 2022.
