Liverpool are 'closing in on£60m deal for Porto star Luis Diaz'
Liverpool are reportedly close to landing a £60million deal for Porto's star winger
Luis Diaz.
The Colombian is one of Europe's hottest properties and his brilliant performances over the last
12 months has caught the eye of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
According to the Sun, Klopp was preparing to make a move for 24-year-old in the summer
but with star duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane off to the Africa Cup of Nations, a move
for Diaz is set to be made in this month's window.
The report goes on to claim that Diaz is viewed as the perfect stand-in for Salah and Mane,
given he has 12 goals and four assists to his name from 15 games with the Premeira Liga side
this season.
Klopp got a front-row seat of Diaz when Porto took on Liverpool in the Champions League
group stage games back in September and November – and was reportedly left impressed by his
performances.
And while the German was said to be holding out for a move at the end of the season, the
absence of two of his star attacking duo for this month's AFCON has left Klopp to decide
to splash the cash.
Diaz reportedly has a £67m release clause but Liverpool are hoping to get him for slightly
less. He has two and a half years left on his current deal with the Portuguese giants.
Last season, Diaz managed to score 11 goals while racking up six assists in all competitions
before going on to shine in last summer's Copa America, where he finished as the competition's
joint-top scorer with four goals alongside Lionel Messi.
He's gone from strength to strength since returning to club football, netting 14 goals
and producing five assists in 24 appearances in all competitions so far this season.
Liverpool could be without Salah and Mane for up to seven games if their respective
countries make it to the final of AFCON.
While the Reds are reportedly targeting Diaz, assistant coach Pep Lijnders is positive they have the
firepower to offset the loss of Mane and Salah.
'You can try to plan it but you can never prepare it,' Lijnders said following the 2-2
draw with Chelsea.
'It is not a worry because we have faith in the boys we have and a few boys are coming
back as well.
'We know that certain players can play more offensively as well, they have been playing
in midfield but they can play more offensively as well.
'I just told the boys Naby, Mo and Sadio that they should try to win the AFCON because it
is a prize to catch and the careers are never long and they deserve to fight for each prize.
'This prize now comes in front of them – it's a tournament with so much passion, so much
culture and it is a really proud situation if you can play for your country, if it's
England or Germany or Holland or whoever and that's what they have and feel.
'So they are African legends, they are legends for me, but if they win it they will probably
be even bigger legends so they should try with all they have to win it.'