Barcelona 'would sell star' to fund Luis Díaz as Liverpool set to face transfer conundrum

Liverpool may well have been envisaging a relatively quiet transfer window, with so much change going on in other areas of the club. But that doesn't stop the rumor mill from turning, and Luis Díaz is the latest to be linked with a transfer.

Barcelona has been mentioned as the primary suitor. It's unclear whether it would be able to stump up the funds, but AS (via Paisley Gates) recently became the latest to claim that there is significant interest in bringing Díaz to Catalonia. Selling Raphinha could reportedly generate much of the required transfer kitty.

Sporting director Deco is said to 'dream' of signing Díaz. The player's father has also previously mentioned Real Madrid as an attractive destination, while PSG will be on the lookout for someone to fill the void left by Kylian Mbappé — but it's Barcelona being linked most persistently at present.

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There's still no guarantee that Liverpool will receive any offers to consider — and for his part, Díaz recently insisted he was happy at Liverpool — but the speculation has brought the topic of number seven's future into the spotlight. New manager Arne Slot, along with the recruitment team, will have a decision to make this summer.

What should the club do? Two of our Liverpool.com writers have had their say, and you can add yours in the comments section below the article.

"Liverpool needs to add, not take away, attackers" - Matt Addison

I'm prepared to admit that there is a conversation to be had about Díaz's output. He has a decent amount of goals this season but that should be even better because of the positions he has found himself in and ultimately, that is the most important thing for Liverpool forwards.

But there are mitigations, of course. What happened with his parents will have taken its toll and that cannot have been easy. There is a world in which a couple of his shots that hit the post went in and the numbers suddenly look a lot better, too.

For me, though, Liverpool needs to be adding attackers to Slot's roster this summer rather than taking them away. I'd like to see a sixth senior attacker brought in to help spread the load even further. In turn, Díaz would not have to play so often, and he could be more refreshed as a result.

Barcelona might well want Díaz but whether it can afford to put a number on the table big enough for Liverpool to consider seems doubtful, even after a Raphinha sale. More likely, in my eyes, the Colombian is still at Anfield next season — but alongside someone else who can evolve the forward line once again.

"Luis Díaz has probably peaked, and he's still the weakest Liverpool forward" - James Martin

Forwards simply cannot escape the need for output. You can be doing a lot of things right, but if you aren't delivering the goods, then ultimately you are failing.

That's why even Darwin Núñez, chance-getter extraordinaire, has come under scrutiny. But while chances are not inherently valuable, they are the single best predictor of goals, and the return of data wizards like Michael Edwards to the club should if anything strengthen the Uruguayan's case.

The same cannot be said for Díaz. Liverpool shouldn't be actively looking to force him towards the door, but if the right offer came in, there's a strong case for taking it seriously.

When it comes to expected goals and assists per 90 minutes, he's averaging 0.55 over the last year (FBref). That's fine at most clubs, and even places him in the 86th percentile of attacking midfielders and wingers around Europe's top five leagues. But compared to Liverpool's other forwards, Díaz's numbers don't hold up.

Mohamed Salah, phenomenon that he is, is averaging 1.0 per game. So too is Núñez — that underlines how poor his finishing has been, but also the sheer scale of potential we're dealing with here. Diogo Jota is posting 0.77, while Cody Gakpo is managing a surprisingly high 0.71. Díaz stands out in this crowd for the wrong reasons.

Throw in the fact that he is 27, and Liverpool may well have already seen his peak, and there's a strong argument for cashing in now if the offer is on the table. Edwards has a knack for finding young forwards ripe for taking the next step up at Anfield, and reinvesting the Díaz money could help him find the next one.

If Barcelona's interest is as serious as has been suggested in the Spanish press, the Catalans could help fund crucial transfers at Anfield for a second consecutive cycle. Díaz won't raise Coutinho money, but Liverpool is only one or two transfers away from being serious challengers on all fronts.

A version of this story was first published on May 16. It has since been updated to reflect the latest transfer information.