Liverpool had special Barcelona transfer clause but it won't apply for Luis Díaz or Darwin Núñez

With Arne Slot soon to arrive as Liverpool’s new boss, there will be plenty of attention on this summer’s transfer business. If reports are to be believed, that could include one or two big-name departures.

Both Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez have been linked with moves to Barcelona ahead of the summer transfer window opening. A new report from Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo suggests that the former wants a move to the Catalan club, with a left winger high on Xavi’s transfer wishlist.

Núñez, meanwhile, has seen his name linked with Barcelona after a week in which his future at Anfield has come to the fore. Having taken down all Liverpool-related pictures from his Instagram account, news outlet Sport claims the striker is of interest to the La Liga giant.

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Barcelona’s finances will of course place huge doubt on whether the club can in fact make moves for either player, especially since Liverpool will not let either player go cheaply. Barca is at least helped though by the expiration of a clause the Reds previously held.

After Philippe Coutinho made the switch from Anfield to Camp Nou in 2018 for $179m (£142m/€165m), Michael Edwards is said to have imposed a hefty premium on Barcelona if it returned for any more Liverpool players. According to the Mirror, as part of the Coutinho deal, a premium of $112m (£89m/€104m) was put in place for two years.

That effectively prevented Barcelona from going after any more of the Reds stars, but the term expired back in 2020, meaning Xavi’s side has more freedom to target the likes of Díaz and Núñez should they choose to do so.

Despite the recent reports, Díaz has indicated he has no immediate plans to leave Liverpool. Speaking after picking up the club’s Player of the Month award for April, the 27-year-old said: "The truth is that I am very happy to be here. Great years are coming for the club, I have no doubt about that.

“You learn more and more to be a professional, to be a better person, to be a good teammate and a good guy. Personally, I will always try to do my best, always try to give 100 per cent, to always stand out on the field, which is what I came [here] to do. I’m always grateful to God for every opportunity.”

Liverpool.com says: Given Barcelona’s well-documented financial problems, it’s difficult to imagine them having the funds to sign either of Díaz or Núñez this summer. Although the latter doesn’t appear all that happy at the moment, it would be a major surprise to see him leave during the transfer window. With a new era set to begin under Arne Slot though, anything could be on the table.