(Football news) Liverpool FC are in pole position to sign Luis Diaz from Porto for a fee believed to be £45m after the Columbia international reiterated his desire to move to Jurgen Klopp’s side amidst interest from Tottenham Hotspur. Diaz was Klopp’s first choice transfer target in the upcoming summer transfer window but Liverpool have been forced to take action to ward off Tottenham's advances and have tabled an offer of £37m + bonuses depending on Diaz’s performances at the club.
It’s been reported that Liverpool have already sent a team to Argentina with the expectation that Diaz can undergo a medical there with the deal expected to be concluded in the next 72 hours. Due to Diaz’s involvement in the South American World Cup qualifiers, he has featured in Colombia’s match against Peru and will now travel to Argentina for the second qualifier on Tuesday. Tottenham have already been in talks with Porto for Luis Diaz and have tabled an offer of £37.6m up front and £8.4m in performance-related add-ons. However, the deal is now expected to collapse as the player has made it clear his preference is to play for Liverpool.
Spurs have endured a frustrating transfer window so far, having already missed out on Adama Traore to FC Barcelona. If they fail to sign Diaz, it’s expected that they will shift their attention to Morocco midfielder Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina on loan, with a €16m buy option. The London based club are also looking to offload Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele or/and Giovani Lo Celso. Ndombele has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain on loan with an option to buy.
Signing Diaz would be a major coup for Liverpool and seriously bolster their title hopes this season. The 25 year old ranks 1st in goals scored and touches in the opposition box in the Portuguese Primeira Liga in the season so far, 2nd in terms of possessions won in the attacking third, 3rd in dribbles completed and 4th in final third passes completed. He is most effective on the left channels and is able to create chances for his teammates. He will suit Jurgen Klopp’s high press style with his tremendous workrate and ability to reclaim possession high on the pitch.
Also read: Can Martial's loan move to Sevilla spice up the La Liga title race?
