Van Dijk bids farewell as ‘incredible’ Liverpool player exit confirmed
Luis Diaz has delivered a passionate Liverpool exit message and hailed one “unforgettable” former teammate in particular.
Liverpool‘s summer has been one of huge change with close to £300million spent in the transfer window thus far, a stark contrast to the mere £10m shelled out on Federico Chiesa alone 12 months ago.
The £69m arrival of Hugo Ekitike and club-record move for Florian Wirtz have helped to bulk up Slot’s frontline, and the spending spree isn’t over yet as Liverpool line up a £130–150m bid for Alexander Isak.
Isak’s possible arrival for a Britsh record fee would have to be facilitated by three major outgoings, and Liverpool have taken the first step to making that happen after agreeing a deal with Bayern Munich.
Liverpool stars bid farewell to Luis Diaz as he completes Bayern Munich transfer
Diaz’s departure has been in the pipeline for some time and Football Insider revealed on 25 July that Bayern had seen a £59m bid rejected by Liverpool, who were holding out for a fee closer to £69m.
The Reds soon reached a £65m agreement with Bayern for the 28-year-old though, and that will earn Liverpool a healthy profit on the £37.5m they paid for Diaz‘s move from Porto back in January 2022.
Bayern have since wrapped up Diaz’s signing on a four-year contract until 2029, and Liverpool posted on their Instagram page (30 July) to farewell the Colombian after 41 goals in 148 appearances at Anfield.
Liverpool’s message said: “Luis Diaz has completed a permanent transfer to Bayern Munich after three-and-a-half years with the Reds.
“Everybody at Liverpool FC thanks Luis for all of his contributions during his time at the club and wishes him the best for the future.”
Several Reds players liked the post which said goodbye to their team-mate, and skipper Virgil van Dijk commented with a ‘love heart’ emoji.
Isak on the horizon as Liverpool add £65m to transfer kitty
Football Insider Verdict
Diaz’s £65m departure could open the door for the likes of Harvey Elliott to get increased game-time at Anfield next term, but Slot wouldn’t have sold his number seven without a top-class replacement in mind.
Isak’s ability to play off the left as well as up front means he’d fit the bill to succeed Diaz, who overtakes Jarell Quansah as Liverpool’s biggest sale of the summer and takes their incoming fees to over £115m.
Elliott and Darwin Nunez are both bound for the exit door to raise the funds Liverpool will need for Isak, and although a record move for the Swede had looked implausible, Diaz’s departure could prove to be the move which sets this transfer in motion.