Luis Diaz’s time at Liverpool is coming to an end, as his move to Bayern Munich is set to be finalised, pending a medical.
The Reds are set to bank £65.5 million from the sale, a hefty profit on the £42.8 million fee, with add-ons included, that the club ended up paying Porto.
With just two years left on his deal and contract talks at an impasse, it made sense for both Diaz and Liverpool to part ways.
According to reports, the No. 7 had wanted to depart the club last summer, amidst interest from Barcelona, but Liverpool wouldn’t budge on their stance that he was not for sale, and he ended up being a vital cog in their Premier League winning season.
A year later, the Colombian has finally been granted his wish, leaving implications for other parties involved in the deal, so let’s take a look at three winners and losers from this transfer.
- READ MORE: After Luis Diaz transfer update, Liverpool are looking at Champions League winner to replace him
Winners from Luis Diaz’s Liverpool exit to Bayern Munich
Cody Gakpo
With Luis Diaz leaving Anfield, Cody Gakpo is now Liverpool’s only recognised first-team left-winger, and that is certainly a prospect that will excite the forward.
While players such as Florian Wirtz or Hugo Ekitike have been tipped to fill out wide, neither is a natural wide player, with both preferring to be deployed in more central positions.
The Dutchman made 42 appearances across all competitions last season, but 17 of those came from off the bench, and the departure of Diaz could see him receive more game time.
Gakpo will be eyeing a link-up with Milos Kerkez on the left flank, and it could be a formidable partnership for Arne Slot.
Rio Ngumoha
Rio Ngumoha has seemed to already be impressing Arne Slot, with the Liverpool head coach starting him in all three of Liverpool’s preseason games so far.
The 16-year-old, while inexperienced, has been exciting Reds fans across the summer, picking up a goal and an assist in just 135 minutes of football.
The youngster, who primarily plays out on the left, will likely be behind Cody Gakpo in the pecking order, but at his age, any minutes at the Premier League level will be vital to his development.
With the trust shown so far in the former Chelsea man, you can likely expect him to be in and around the first team a lot more this season.
Richard Hughes
Last summer, Liverpool fans were not happy with Richard Hughes, as the club only forked out £12.5m in a deal for Federico Chiesa.
However, time would show that the sporting director was right to hold out on any wholesale changes to the squad, with Liverpool winning their 20th league title.
Now, this summer the Scotsman has been proving how valuable an asset he is to the club, with the Reds spending close to £300 million so far on deals for Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike, and Jeremie Frimpong.
But on the other side, Hughes has proven to be an excellent negotiator when it comes to selling. Liverpool receiving £65.5 million for a player who wants to leave, has two years left on his deal, and shows no sign of contract talks progressing is a major coup.
While Luis Diaz has been a key man for the club since joining in 2022, the sale means focus can shift to younger targets, and a deal for Alexander Isak could now progress further.
Losers from Luis Diaz’s Liverpool exit to Bayern Munich
Liverpool Fans
While Liverpool fans are excited about the prospect of Alexander Isak signing for them, they are also upset about one thing they will lose from Diaz’s sale: his chant.
The song created for the Colombian international quickly rose as one of the most popular songs sung amongst Liverpool fans and would often be chanted for minutes on end during games.
With Diaz off to Germany, the song won’t be heard as often in the ground, and that will be a major miss for fans.
Luckily, the club has signed quite a few new players, so there is certainly room for newer songs to be created.
Kingsley Coman
While Kingsley Coman may have been expecting his game time to increase with the exit of Leroy Sane to Galatasaray, he will not be any longer.
Luis Diaz’s arrival at Bayern Munich certainly puts a threat on the minutes Coman could see across the season.
The Frenchman found himself more often than not on the bench of the Bundesliga champions, and he will likely find the same for the upcoming campaign.
Newcastle United
Reports from reliable journalists have stated that once Luis Diaz has left, the Reds will ramp up their interest in Newcastle forward Alexander Isak.
So far, a formal offer has yet to be received by the Tyneside club, but with the Swedish forward unsettled and wanting a move, the arrival of a bid could set things in motion for the player to leave St. James’ Park.
Eddie Howe’s side has struggled to get deals in the door, with players such as Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Hugo Ekitike preferring moves elsewhere, and Brentford playing hardball on target Yoanne Wissa, so losing Isak will be a major blow.
Isak now seems to be trying to force a move away, and if Liverpool send a British-record transfer fee, as they are reported to be willing to do, they may find it hard to turn down.