Beth Lindop
Beth Lindop
Correspondent
Based in Liverpool, Beth Lindop is ESPN’s Liverpool correspondent and also covers the WSL and UWCL.
Constantin Eckner
When Luis Díaz married his long-term partner, Gera Ponce, in a lavish ceremony in his native Colombia in June, the wedding playlist featured a surprise inclusion.
Video footage from the reception showed Díaz singing and dancing along to “Bella Ciao,” a song that Liverpool fans reworked in his honor following his arrival from FC Porto in January 2022. Lyrics charting Díaz’s journey from the small Colombian town of Barrancas to the heights of the Premier League could be heard ringing out in stadiums across Europe as the forward established himself as an integral part of the Reds’ success under both Jürgen Klopp and Arne Slot.
That Díaz chose to incorporate the song into his big day points to the special relationship the player forged with supporters across his 3½ years at Liverpool; a relationship that went from strength to strength last season as the 28-year-old’s flair and tenacity helped the club to win a record-tying 20th league title.
With that in mind, it will have been a surprise to many to see the winger sign with Bayern Munich in a deal worth €75 million on Wednesday. Even more surprising is the fact that it was Díaz who pushed for the move, with a source telling ESPN the player was “determined” to leave Anfield this summer.
That Bayern have added another winger to their attacking corps might not come as much of a surprise for a club known for its explosive wide players, but that it is Díaz, and not a younger, brighter talent, is. So what’s behind Díaz’s desire for a fresh challenge? And are the Bundesliga champions getting a difference-maker in what is their star signing this summer?
Liverpool exit a year in the making
Díaz enjoyed an extraordinary start to his Liverpool career. The forward was something of a surprise addition to Klopp’s squad, with Liverpool moving up their 2022 summer transfer plans after Tottenham Hotspur tried to sign the player earlier that January.
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Their decision to hijack Spurs’ deal quickly paid dividends as Díaz helped the club to win a domestic cup double and reach the final of the UEFA Champions League, where it narrowly lost to Real Madrid. Quickly establishing a reputation for his devastating pace and trickery on the left wing, Díaz became a firm fan favorite.
But after sustaining a serious knee injury in October 2022, the forward was forced to spend seven months on the sidelines and, upon his return, struggled to recapture his blistering form. Díaz’s struggles were compounded by matters off the pitch in October 2023 when his father, Luis Manuel “Mane” Díaz, was held hostage for almost two weeks by the National Liberation Army in Colombia.
Sources told ESPN that, by the summer of 2024, Díaz was eager to leave Merseyside. He liked the idea of a move to LaLiga, and his father told Win Sports it was his “dream” to play for Barcelona.
For a while, it looked as if Liverpool were preparing for his exit. Sources told ESPN the club got as far as agreeing to a £75 million deal in principle to sign left winger Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United last July, but the deal ultimately collapsed after Newcastle eased their PSR concerns through the transfers of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson to Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest, respectively.
With no suitable replacements available, Liverpool fought to keep Díaz at Anfield, and it was a decision that was quickly vindicated. The Colombia international delivered his most productive season in a red shirt last season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions and playing the second-most Premier League minutes of any Liverpool forward (behind only Mohamed Salah) as Slot’s side romped to the title.
Despite having played such a key role in Liverpool’s triumph, it was always likely this summer would be decisive in Díaz’ future. With only two years left on his existing contract, the Anfield hierarchy had a big decision to make.
For years, there has been debate over the forward’s wage packet, with some reports suggesting he was pocketing a weekly salary of £55,000 — a relatively nominal amount for an elite player. While a source told ESPN this figure is incorrect, suggesting that the amount is around £140,000 a week, it’s clear there was a significant discrepancy between the player’s demands and the salary Liverpool were willing to offer a player who will turn 29 in January.
Sources told ESPN that two attempts to agree a contract extension failed and, while Liverpool initially came into the summer unwilling to part with their No. 7, there was an increasing inevitability to his departure. The Reds rebuffed an early advance from Barcelona and rejected Bayern’s opening offer of €67.5 million.
But when the German club returned to the negotiating table with an improved bid, Liverpool reluctantly decided to accept, sensing an opportunity to make profit on a player who is probably nearing the end of his peak. His departure will help balance some of Liverpool’s spending this summer, with the Premier League champions having spent around £290 million on Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Hugo Ekitike.
There is also a sense that the additional funds — coupled with any further revenue generated by the likely departures of fellow forwards Darwin Núñez and Federico Chiesa — could help Liverpool finance a deal for long-term striker target Alexander Isak, although Newcastle would first have to indicate a willingness to do a deal for the Sweden international this summer. — Beth Lindop
Díaz poses significant risk for Bayern
No matter how Bayern Munich try to spin this signing in the coming days, Díaz was certainly not their first choice. After failing to secure Wirtz, their No. 1 transfer target, Bayern had to change course and look at alternatives, with the likes of Nico Williams, Rafael Leão and Bradley Barcola at the top of the list.
As it became clear that none of the three were available or willing to move to Munich, Bayern began looking for alternatives to their alternatives. They eventually settled on Díaz, who seemed quite flattered by the interest from the Bundesliga champions and ready to move on from Anfield.
Knowing that few options were left, Bayern did not leave the negotiating table after their opening offer was rejected by the Premier League champions. Instead, they submitted an improved bid while hoping that Díaz would express to Liverpool’s decision-makers his desire to leave, which he did.
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After the departures of Thomas Müller, Leroy Sané and Mathys Tel in recent weeks, Bayern knew they had to add to their attack. And after Jamal Musiala suffered a fractured leg in the Club World Cup quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain, the pressure on Bayern director of sport Max Eberl increased even more.
Eberl takes a considerable risk by signing Díaz because of the size of the financial commitment. Díaz is expected to earn €14 million before taxes, a source told ESPN, a 66% increase from his salary at Liverpool. The Bavarian club actually wanted to lower their payroll this summer, given that they have a number of players with annual salaries in the eight digits, but Díaz’s contract continues the trend.
Eberl has faced criticism for his negotiating and squad-building skills, and once again, it looks as though he has struck an average deal at best. Díaz will be 32 when his four-year contract expires, making it unlikely that he will have much value should he need to be moved.
Bayern have had a proclivity for wingers since they signed Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry in the late 2000s and kickstarted a period of success. As Robben and Ribéry aged out, the likes of Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Sané took over, and it seems as if head coach Vincent Kompany wants to continue putting an emphasis on explosive wide players. Michael Olise joined Bayern last summer and was arguably their best player in his first season at the club.
One source told ESPN that that Kompany was in favor of adding Díaz to the squad. Not only can he play on the left, but he has also proven to be a competent striker, making 15 starts as a No. 9 in Slot’s team last season. One might even argue that Díaz is more dangerous coming through the middle than from the left these days. Regardless of his position, he is seen as an effective presser who will fit into Bayern’s system.
During the Club World Cup, Kompany experimented with a 4-4-2, with Gnabry and Harry Kane playing up front. Díaz could be another option for a role next to Kane, especially if Bayern do not manage to sign forward Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart.
The worst case for Eberl would be his most expensive signing this summer having an average season and not immediately justifying the high contract value. At the same time, Kompany runs the risk of alienating younger players if he isn’t willing to give any of the current crop of academy graduates a chance.
Bayern possess a few promising prospects in attacking midfield, most notably 19-year-old Paul Wanner, but it appears that opportunities with the first team will be limited. And the chances of them seeing the field any time soon have decreased with Díaz’s arrival. — Constantin Eckner
