Door OPEN for Liverpool's Luis Diaz successor

Liverpool are braced for another bid from Bayern Munich for Luis Diaz. The Colombian was earlier this summer the subject of an attempted offer from Bavaria - but that was insufficient to bring Richard Hughes to the table.

But the interest hasn’t gone away.

In fact, several reporters are suggesting that Bayern are coming back. If Liverpool achieve close to their asking price - earlier described as €100m - then the 28-year-old will be off.

Diogo Jota: Thank you

The player is now thought to be willing to move away from Anfield. His current contract expires in 2027 but there is little chance of a renewal.

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Diaz was previously reported to be interested in extending his deal but Liverpool have not made a contract offer he deemed acceptable.

Can Liverpool find a BETTER player on Diaz's wages?

He is reported to be earning £55k per week on a contract which was signed back in January 2022. A contract renewal on Diaz’s preferred terms would set Liverpool back somewhere in the region of £150k per week and it’s unlikely to happen.

And if Diaz moves it is going to open up a slot in the squad for a potential new arrival. Among current options are Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz and potentially Hugo Ekitike - while youngster Rio Ngumoha could also be due some minutes.

There have been links also with Rodrygo of Real Madrid - regularly used on the right by the Bernabeu side but who would actually prefer to play on the left.

But according to a new report from Christian Falk in his CFBayern column, replacing Diaz in the transfer market is not going to be straightforward from a salary perspective.

“Diaz earns around £2.34m per year,” the report reads. “If he leaves, the Reds will have to sign a replacement who could demand significantly more salary.”

Top players earning FAR more than Diaz

Diaz is probably the best-value attacker in the Premier League. It is hard to imagine any other player offering his kind of productivity for £55k per week.

Federico Chiesa, for example, is reported to earn £120k per week.

And so if Liverpool sell Diaz, they won’t be able to find another performer at Diaz’s salary level. Instead they will be pushed into signing a player on perhaps four or six times Diaz’s pay packet.

Is Ngumoha the best solution?

Whether the money is there for an improved option is another question.

The Reds have already increased their outlay thanks to signings like Wirtz and Ekitike and it may be the most prudent option to replace Diaz in-house.

That means a boost for Gakpo - who had to rotate duties with Diaz last season - or else Ngumoha - who hasn’t yet signed a first pro deal.

It looks likely Liverpool’s big-earners like Nunez and Chiesa will see their salaries go to Ekitike and other star names in attack. No doubt Diaz will help in that regard too.

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But it says a lot about how much worth the Reds have managed to extract from Diaz via Arne Slot’s coaching that they will find him so hard to replace at his current wage level.

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