Luis Diaz reacts to Van Dijk’s message as Liverpool exit looms – ‘Until next time’
Liverpool’s summer of big-money transfer business looks set to continue after new developments on their pre-season tour.
Arne Slot’s side have spent big so far this summer and Hugo Ekitike’s £79million move from Eintracht Frankfurt takes their transfer outlay to almost £300m with the club’s transfer record already broken.
Ekitike’s arrival comes after Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and record-breaker Florian Wirtz’s own moves to Anfield, with just over £50m brought in from their four completed sales.
The latter quartet could soon be joined by an Anfield favourite in the form of Luis Diaz, whose proposed move to Bayern Munich is edging closer after Liverpool reneged on their previous transfer stance.
Van Dijk ‘thanks Hong Kong’ after Diaz developments at Liverpool
Football Insider revealed on 25 July that Bayern had lined up an offer of roughly £69m for Diaz after Liverpool rejected their initial £59m bid, with the Reds likely to accept such a fee for their number seven.
The uncertainty over Diaz’s future saw him left out of Slot’s squad on Saturday as Liverpool took on AC Milan at the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong, and Wirtz started up front in an eventual 4-2 defeat.
Goals in either half from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo weren’t enough for the off-colour Reds to beat Milan in Kowloon, and Virgil van Dijk posted on Instagram on 27 July to thank the local crowds.
In a message which was liked by Diaz and several other Liverpool players as they look ahead to their next match against Yokohama F Marinos in Japan, Van Dijk said: “Hong Kong, thank you! Until next time…”
Diaz departure opens door for Liverpool’s Alexander Isak deal
Football Insider revealed last month that Liverpool would only sell Diaz this summer if the winger pushed for a move himself, but that stance has now changed as Slot plans to spend even more on new arrivals.
Liverpool are instead looking to sell Diaz, Harvey Elliott and Darwin Nunez in order to raise further funds, the vast majority of which they plan to use on yet another record transfer for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak.
Isak has gone on strike at St. James’ Park after Liverpool’s public declaration of interest in him, and if Bayern do complete their move for Diaz, the rest of the Premier League will be left with baited breath to see if Liverpool are set to sign another world-class player.