In advanced discussion
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Florian Wirtz, Nico Williams, Bradley Barcola, and Nick Woltemade. The list of failed Bayern Munich transfers this summer is long. For a long time, it appeared that Liverpool forward Luis Díaz could be next on the list of players that won’t or are unlikely to join the Bundesliga champions this summer. Under Arne Slot, Díaz had his best season at Liverpool since joining the club from Porto in 2022. But changing market dynamics mean that Liverpool have now opened the door for Díaz to leave the club. The 28-year-old has already agreed terms with Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich are now willing to pay a maximum of €75m to sign Díaz from Liverpool. It would be the third biggest Bayern transfer in history behind Harry Kane (€95m) and Lucas Hernández (€80m). A deal in that category would also mark the third biggest fee Liverpool have received. That figure might be enough for Liverpool to open the door for a transfer. A transfer in that category, in fact, would help Liverpool to finance their own transfer offensive. Liverpool are set to sign Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth €95m. The transfer of the French striker will increase Liverpool’s spending to over €300m while the club has only earned €63.3m on the transfer market this summer.
With that in mind, Liverpool now see Bayern as a useful means to generate money to remain active on the market. Indeed, the Reds have used Bayern to offload a more expensive older player in the past. In the summer of 2022, Bayern Munich signed Sadio Mané for a deal worth €32m from Liverpool. The then 30-year-old struggled at Bayern, scoring seven goals and five assists in 25 Bundesliga games, and was quickly moved on to Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr the following summer in a transfer worth €30m. Now they are set to repeat the trick with Díaz.
28-year-old winger – Why Bayern Munich are desperate to sign Luis Díaz?
The Mané deal should serve as a warning to Bayern Munich, especially at a time when the club should strive to get younger rather than adding players in their late 20s. Once completed, Díaz would become the 12th player in the squad to be 28 or older. Crucially, attacking players Kingsley Coman (29), Serge Gnabry (30), and Kane (32) are either already in their 30s or will turn 30 this season. With three forwards reaching the tail end of their careers, the emphasis should be on getting younger rather than spending significant money on a player who will turn 29 in January.
According to a report by Bild, Díaz is set to earn €14m a season at Bayern Munich. That’s more than what he earns at Liverpool. It is, however, not a top salary at Bayern. The Colombian would rank between Alphonso Davies (€15m) and Michael Olise (€13m). The top earners at the club, according to Bild, are Jamal Musiala (€25m) and Kane (€24). Although Díaz wouldn’t be among the top earners, the entire package would do little to reduce Bayern’s spending in the future.
Why are Bayern Munich desperate to sign Díaz? The recent surge in productivity makes Díaz an attractive option for Bayern. The winger had his most productive domestic campaign for Liverpool last season, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists in 36 Premier League games. Indeed, under Slot, Díaz has become a far more reliable and complete forward. Bayern are somewhat desperate to get a transfer across the line to bolster the left wing. The Munich club has failed to sign Wirtz, Williams, and Barcola. Discussions with Stuttgart to sign Woltemade have been challenging as well and could now be dead. With Leroy Sané leaving the club for Galatasaray, Coman is currently the only left winger in the squad, making it paramount for Bayern to bring in an additional player.
