The Luis Diaz saga has taken a new twist with the revelation that Barcelona might not even be able to afford him despite being desperate to add him to their squad.
The 28-year-old tallied 25 goal contributions this season and has earned a lot of attention from clubs around the world but Liverpool reportedly do not want to sell him.
Despite that, Barcelona and Saudia Arabian clubs alike are keen to sign him this summer.
Yet, the former appears unable to afford him and will therefore not be able to test Liverpool’s resolve. The Reds don’t want to sell and certainly won’t for below their valuation of the Colombian sensation.
According to journalist Jose Alvarez Haya, Barcelona are still keen to sign Diaz but have set a limit on how much they are willing to spend to take him to Camp Nou.
They are reportedly willing to spend only €60million (£51m) which will not be enough to persuade Liverpool’s joint-second highest goalscorer of the 2024/25 season – Gakpo also got 25 goal contributions.
Is the Saudi Pro League Liverpool’s only chance to sell Diaz for big money?
With the unsurprising news that Barcelona are broke and can’t afford to pay market value for Diaz, it begs the question: which club that needs an elite left-wing can afford him?
PSG have Kvaratshkelia, Real Madrid have Vinicius and Mbappe, Italian sides won’t be able to afford the asking price in all likelihood, Bayern have Kingsley Coman and Musiala and Liverpool won’t sell him to any side in the Premier League.
So, aside from Saudi Pro League teams, there may not be a club that Liverpool can sell Diaz to that can also offer the Colombian the wages he’s looking for.
A recent claim from Ben Jacobs suggests that Al-Nassr have shortlisted Diaz alongside Rafael Leao. He does also say that Liverpool don’t even want to sell him which would be my preference but they are also reluctant to offer him a new deal given he’s heading for 30.
With plenty, plenty of time in the summer remaining, time will tell how this particular saga plays out.
