The slot should drop the Liverpool star whose value has risen by £38m

Liverpool are about to enter the unknown, the strange mists of life after Jurgen Klopp on Merseyside, a fresh start after a great period that has seen the club conquer everything, rise from the rubble and enjoy a new position of power at the height of the continent.

Third in the Premier League with three games to play, Liverpool have come out on top after falling by the wayside last year, with Klopp's sweeping summer changes working wonders, restoring the club's momentum and winning the Carabao Cup.

But Klopp's side were late and a dollar short of the Premier League title race after recent results gave Arsenal and Manchester City a chance to enter the stage late on.

The respected German manager will step down from his position at the helm, but FSG have moved smartly to build a new infrastructure, and Arne Slot will be announced as the new coach.

The current Feyenoord manager will have a lot to chew on, one of the most pressing issues being the future of Luis Diaz, who is likely to be sold this summer despite his good form.

Why Liverpool signed Luis Diaz

With Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane all out of contract at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Liverpool were always going to have a difficult task keeping the experienced trio on the books.

Firmino was allowed to see out his contract and Salah penned a lucrative new contract, but Mane was sold to Bayern Munich in a £35m deal after an impressive performance on Merseyside.

Mane's sale was apparently, to some extent, predetermined, as the Reds moved to sign Diaz from Portuguese side FC Porto for £37m from January 2022.

And while the Colombian has enjoyed relatively high levels of success under Klopp, he has scored just 24 goals and added 13 assists in 96 appearances.

Luis Diaz's season by the numbers

Diaz spent most of the 2022/23 season with a knee injury, so it was only natural that his first season's performances would not be there.

That situation was compounded by a family situation involving his father that naturally prevented him from playing his best football, but Diaz has come on strong in recent months and has been praised for his “brilliant” played by James Pearce of The Athletic.

But he is still not playing in a way that puts him on the same level as Mane, and Liverpool may be convinced that the start of a new chapter requires a new face.

When you compare those metrics to Mane in his last Premier League campaign, it quickly becomes clear that perhaps Liverpool could find a more effective cog on the left wing.

According to FBref, Diaz ranked in the top 12 percent of his peers of all top five European league players last year in shots taken and shooting actions, top 7 percent in pass completions and top 6 percent in offensive penalty touches . place 90.

There is no doubt that Diaz is a talented midfielder, but questions are growing as to whether he is the right man to lead from the flanks in the coming years, especially given the interest in his signature.

Why Luis Diaz should be sold

Liverpool's frontline has sparked a lot of debate in recent weeks. Diogo Jota is a clinical and clean coach for Liverpool, ranked in the top 1% of players in Europe's top five leagues last year with 90 goals, but he is also worryingly injury prone.

Cody Gakpo is strong and versatile but has yet to reach his best on Merseyside. Salah's future is shrouded in fog, with his contract expiring in 2025, although sources have ruled out a summer sale.

Then there's Darwin Nunez, then there's Diaz. The future of these South American attackers remains the most relevant and pressing concern of Slot's first division as Liverpool manager.

Nunez joined Liverpool for a club-record fee of £85m but has admitted cheating in recent games, drawing praise from fans after deleting Liverpool photos on Instagram after receiving criticism for his poor form.

Barcelona are chasing the Uruguayan's signature as they look to find a long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski and Stan Collymore reckons he could be “better off” leaving Liverpool.

That leaves Diaz. The Colombian was electric and impressive throughout 2024, with his drive and courage winning over the crowd.

However, he is not a goalscorer like his Senegalese predecessor or his Egyptian counterpart on the other wing, and while it is important to consider his overall performance, Diaz is 27 years old and under contract until 2027 – his value will start to decline. from this point.

And considering that Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have expressed an interest in signing the £55k-a-week star, Liverpool have bid for £75m, it may be worth cashing in on a higher rate and reinvesting elsewhere.

In addition, Athletic's David Ornstein has recently sparked fire after revealing that Liverpool are in the market for a wide player this summer, with West Ham United's Mohammed Kudus being mentioned along with Michael Olise and Jarrod Bowen as names to be mentioned in Michael Edwards transfer meetings. .

Diaz was crowned Liverpool's Player of the Month for April after producing some excellent, high-energy displays, and while this speaks to his quality, it also speaks to the amount of money he can get now, as his value has risen by £38m since his arrival. on the English coast two and a half years ago.

Ultimately, Edwards and his team will work diligently to improve this Liverpool team, and if in the right position, Diaz should be sold.