Liverpool and their winger Luis Díaz face a crossroads this summer with a decision on whether to extend the Colombian’s contract or sell him, given interest from Paris St-Germain and others in the player.
Díaz, 27, has been a resounding success at Liverpool since arriving from Porto for around £37.5 million in the January 2022 window. He shares an agent, Raul Costa, with one of the potential successors to Jürgen Klopp, Ruben Amorim. Costa is understood to have travelled to Britain recently to visit his client on Merseyside.
Unusually for a signing who has had two strong years at the club, Díaz is yet to agree a contract extension to replace the original which he signed on his arrival. He will still be contracted for three years come the end of the season, although it is likely at that point it will be necessary for both parties to decide whether he stays for the long term or moves on.
PSG are understood to be one interested club, and also Barcelona although given their financial situation it could be hard for the Catalan club to offer Liverpool the kind of fee they might be seeking. Díaz is rated at around £75 million by Liverpool. He missed seven months of last season with a knee injury but has come roaring back to form this term with eight goals and four assists in 30 Premier League appearances, and a further five in other competitions.
Díaz earned special praise from Klopp after scoring an equaliser at Luton Town last November amid a family ordeal in which both parents were kidnapped in Colombia before they were eventually released.
Picking the right moment to sell players has become just as crucial as signings and extensions – given the red lines around permitted losses under profit and sustainability rules.
Sources have denied that an agreement has been reached informally between Liverpool and Amorim over the manager’s job although the Sporting Lisbon coach remains a contender for the role.
Now that Xabi Alonso has ruled himself out, others come into play including Roberto De Zerbi, at Brighton, and potentially the Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann.