Barcelona And Paris Saint-Germain Set For Battle To Sign Liverpool Star Amid Contract Dispute
Rumours have been swirling over the last few weeks and months ahead of the January transfer window with several players being linked with a move to Liverpool. Arne Slot inherited a strong squad from his predecessor Jurgen Klopp in the summer.
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Slot made only one permanent signing following the arrival of Federico Chiesa from Juventus while Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will not officially move to Anfield until next summer after spending the season on loan at Valencia.
The Dutchman has led Liverpool to the Premier League and Champions League standings summit as he aims to win a major trophy in his first season in charge. The Reds have also reached the semifinals of the Carabao Cup after beating Southampton 2-1 on Wednesday.
Slot and Liverpool are open to doing business in January. Still, the futures of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Virgil van Dijk remain unresolved despite the club offering them new deals.
Salah and Van Dijk are reportedly close to extending their contracts while Alexander-Arnold continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid on a free transfer.
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Another player linked with a move away from the club is Luis Diaz. Diaz has been one of the consistent performers for the Reds under Slot this season, contributing nine goals and three assists in 22 appearances across all competitions.
Last season, the 27-year-old featured in all but two of Liverpool’s matches after playing in 37 out of 38 Premier League games as the Reds finished 3rd and secured UEFA Champions League qualification while also winning the Carabao Cup.
Diaz has reportedly been offered a new contract by Liverpool but negotiations have stalled. He is currently under contract until June 2027 but Liverpool want to tie him down to a long-term deal.
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, European giants Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are keen on signing him next summer. The report claims that Barca seems to be the preferred destination for Diaz, who was also previously linked with the Catalan club.
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It is believed the Colombia forward is admired by Barcelona manager Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco, who considers him an ideal option for the near future. Diaz's father, Luis Manuel Diaz has previously claimed that it would be the forward's dream to play at Barcelona.
"The truth is that I know very little about Barcelona at the moment. It is true that Luis is a loyal Barcelona fan and it would be his dream to go there," he told Win Sports.
"So far I would like to thank Porto and Liverpool for the way they welcomed him and received him. Luis is a player who finds it easy to win over because of the way he is, because of his humility, his work, his dedication, he is a very disciplined player, thank God.
"There would be no problem if Luis came to Barcelona because it is a top team and one of the best in the world."
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LFC Transfer Room Football Correspondent. Covered the fortunes of Liverpool for the past three years. Follow Joseph on X (formerly Twitter) @joseph_agbobli