It is more or less certain that Barcelona are not going to get their hands on Nico Williams who looks all set to continue with Athletic Bilbao and according to El Chiringuito TV, the Catalans are now eyeing Luis Diaz as an alternative.
A couple of weeks ago, Barca were on the verge of landing Williams but since then, they have made little progress. Clearly, the club does not have the money to bring the youngster to Camp Nou which is why Joan Laporta is now looking at alternatives.
Kingsley Coman has been a player who has been on Barcelona’s radar in recent days because Bayern Munich are willing to offload the French winger in a loan deal. However, it seems like Barcelona are keen to go after the Liverpool winger who is currently valued at €75 million.
Unlike Coman, Luis Diaz has been on Barcelona’s wishlist for a really long time but the rumours had died down because Hansi Flick was interested in signing Nico Williams. Now that Williams is not coming to Camp Nou, Deco seems to have shifted his focus to the Colombian international.
Does Luis Diaz fit Barcelona’s requirements?
Luis Diaz joined Barca in 2022 from FC Porto for €50 million and since then, the winger has made 37 goal contributions in 98 games for the Premier League giants.
Last season, he scored 13 goals in 51 appearances with an xG of 11.88 and xA of 4.75. He had created 64 major chances in the Premier League last time around and if not Nico Williams then Luis Diaz will do perfectly down the left flank for Barcelona.
Flick needs to bring in a world-class winger because Ferran Torres is just not cut out for the job and apart from him, Barca do not have another top-class player for that position.
Kingsley Coman is also a good choice but the Frenchman has seen a massive dip in form in recent seasons and last campaign, he missed 125 days due to 5 various injuries. Coman might be able to bring in a lot of experience but any day, Luis Diaz is a much more sensible option.
Will Barcelona be able to sign the Liverpool winger?
Under Jurgen Klopp, Luis Diaz was a very important player but there are reports that Liverpool will allow the winger to leave if they receive €58 million, primarily because Arne Slot does not see him in his long-term plans.
This valuation might be a bit hard to digest because Diaz’s current valuation is €75 million and his contract runs until 2027 which means Liverpool will be able to get a lot more than €58 million.
Even if Liverpool are seriously considering selling Luis Diaz for around €58 million, then also Barcelona will find it hard to get their hands on him because Nico Williams has a similar release clause and the Catalans have not been able to trigger it yet.
To conclude, Luis Diaz will be a very good signing for Barcelona but we don’t think they have to money to bring him on board. Right now, signing Kingsley Coman on a loan spell with an option to buy will be the most practical choice for Laporta and Deco.
