Barcelona’s Summer Chase for Luis Diaz Hits a Dead End

Barcelona sporting director Deco revealed the club tried to sign Liverpool’s Luis Diaz this summer. However, the deal was too hard to complete. Deco admitted negotiations were tough and did not lead to an agreement, meaning Diaz opted to move to Bayern instead.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona targeted Luis Diaz after missing out on Athletic Club’s Nico Williams. Deco said the club looked for solutions but sometimes transfers do not happen. Diaz remains a key part of Liverpool, where he made 44 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring 8 goals and registering six assists.

Reports suggested Diaz was open to a move to Barcelona after growing frustrated with Liverpool over the lack of progress on a contract extension. However, Liverpool already rejected significant bids for Luis Diaz, and they would reportedly demand up to €70 million for the Colombian, which brought a halt to negotiations in late summer and led to Barcelona looking for alternative targets.

BARCELONA’S SEASON SO FAR

Barcelona are currently top in LaLiga with 19 points from 7 games, one more point than Real Madrid. The Catalans are rebuilding under new coach Hansi Flick and have turned to teenage stars Lamine Yamal and Gavi for attacking depth.

Up next for Barcelona is a home game against PSG for the Champions League before paying Sevilla for LaLiga. The visitors have taken ten points from their first seven games, leaving them 9th in the table and making Barcelona heavy favourites. But the pressure will be on Flick’s side to close the gap on the top two as they continue to search for more consistency in the final third.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR LUIS DIAZ & BARCA?

Liverpool are currently top in the Premier League but just two points ahead of Arsenal after losing to Crystal Palace over the weekend. Many think Luis Diaz did a positive move with his transfer to Bayern Munich, who have won every match so far this season. His recent move to Bayern Munich was reportedly for €75 million, as he confirmed he had talked with Barcelona before deciding to join Bayern. Both clubs will revisit their squads next summer.

Barcelona take on Sevilla next in LaLiga, as they look to increase the gap on Real Madrid. Liverpool play next in the Premier League away at Chelsea, and will be hoping for a win to remain in the Champions League qualification places after winning last season’s title.