Leaving Liverpool: Díaz transfer is a big gamble for Bayern

When Luis Díaz joined his semipermanent partner, Gera Ponce, successful a lavish ceremonial successful his autochthonal Colombia successful June, the wedding playlist featured a astonishment inclusion.

Video footage from the reception showed Díaz singing and dancing on to "Bella Ciao," a opus that Liverpool fans reworked successful his grant pursuing his accomplishment from FC Porto successful January 2022. Lyrics charting Díaz's travel from the tiny Colombian municipality of Barrancas to the heights of the Premier League could beryllium heard ringing retired successful stadiums crossed Europe arsenic the guardant established himself arsenic an integral portion of the Reds' occurrence nether some Jürgen Klopp and Arne Slot.

That Díaz chose to incorporated the opus into his large time points to the peculiar narration the subordinate forged with supporters crossed his 3½ years astatine Liverpool; a narration that went from spot to spot past play arsenic the 28-year-old's flair and tenacity helped the nine to triumph a record-tying 20th league title.

With that successful mind, it volition person been a astonishment to galore to spot the winger motion with Bayern Munich successful a woody worthy €75 cardinal connected Wednesday. Even much astonishing is the information that it was Díaz who pushed for the move, with a root telling ESPN the subordinate was "determined" to permission Anfield this summer.

That Bayern person added different winger to their attacking corps mightiness not travel arsenic overmuch of a astonishment for a nine known for its explosive wide players, but that it is Díaz, and not a younger, brighter talent, is. So what's down Díaz's tendency for a caller challenge? And are the Bundesliga champions getting a difference-maker successful what is their prima signing this summer?

Liverpool exit a twelvemonth successful the making

Díaz enjoyed an bonzer commencement to his Liverpool career. The guardant was thing of a astonishment summation to Klopp's squad, with Liverpool moving up their 2022 summertime transportation plans aft Tottenham Hotspur tried to motion the subordinate earlier that January.

Their determination to hijack Spurs' woody rapidly paid dividends arsenic Díaz helped the nine to triumph a home cupful treble and scope the last of the UEFA Champions League, wherever it narrowly mislaid to Real Madrid. Quickly establishing a estimation for his devastating gait and trickery connected the near wing, Díaz became a steadfast instrumentality favorite.

But aft sustaining a superior genu wounded successful October 2022, the guardant was forced to walk 7 months connected the sidelines and, upon his return, struggled to recapture his blistering form. Díaz's struggles were compounded by matters disconnected the transportation successful October 2023 erstwhile his father, Luis Manuel "Mane" Díaz, was held hostage for astir 2 weeks by the National Liberation Army successful Colombia.

Sources told ESPN that, by the summertime of 2024, Díaz was anxious to permission Merseyside. He liked the thought of a determination to LaLiga, and his begetter told Win Sports it was his "dream" to play for Barcelona.

For a while, it looked arsenic if Liverpool were preparing for his exit. Sources told ESPN the nine got arsenic acold arsenic agreeing to a £75 cardinal woody successful rule to motion near winger Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United past July, but the woody yet collapsed aft Newcastle eased their PSR concerns done the transfers of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson to Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest, respectively.

With nary suitable replacements available, Liverpool fought to support Díaz astatine Anfield, and it was a determination that was rapidly vindicated. The Colombia planetary delivered his astir productive play successful a reddish garment past season, scoring 17 goals successful each competitions and playing the second-most Premier League minutes of immoderate Liverpool guardant (behind lone Mohamed Salah) arsenic Slot's broadside romped to the title.

Despite having played specified a cardinal relation successful Liverpool's triumph, it was ever apt this summertime would beryllium decisive successful Díaz' future. With lone 2 years near connected his existing contract, the Anfield hierarchy had a large determination to make.

For years, determination has been statement implicit the forward's wage packet, with immoderate reports suggesting helium was pocketing a play wage of £55,000 -- a comparatively nominal magnitude for an elite player. While a root told ESPN this fig is incorrect, suggesting that the magnitude is astir £140,000 a week, it's wide determination was a important discrepancy betwixt the player's demands and the wage Liverpool were consenting to connection a subordinate who volition crook 29 successful January.

Sources told ESPN that 2 attempts to hold a declaration hold failed and, portion Liverpool initially came into the summertime unwilling to portion with their No. 7, determination was an expanding inevitability to his departure. The Reds rebuffed an aboriginal beforehand from Barcelona and rejected Bayern's opening connection of €67.5 million.

But erstwhile the German nine returned to the negotiating array with an improved bid, Liverpool reluctantly decided to accept, sensing an accidental to marque nett connected a subordinate who is astir apt nearing the extremity of his peak. His departure volition assistance equilibrium immoderate of Liverpool's spending this summer, with the Premier League champions having spent astir £290 cardinal connected Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Hugo Ekitike.

There is besides a consciousness that the further funds -- coupled with immoderate further gross generated by the apt departures of chap forwards Darwin Núñez and Federico Chiesa -- could assistance Liverpool concern a woody for semipermanent striker people Alexander Isak, though Newcastle would archetypal person to bespeak a willingness to bash a woody for the Sweden planetary this summer. -- Beth Lindop

Díaz poses important hazard for Bayern

No substance however Bayern Munich effort to rotation this signing successful the coming days, Díaz was surely not their archetypal choice. After failing to unafraid Wirtz, their No. 1 transportation target, Bayern had to alteration people and look astatine alternatives, with the likes of Nico Williams, Rafael Leão and Bradley Barcola astatine the apical of the list.

As it became wide that nary of the 3 were disposable oregon consenting to determination to Munich, Bayern began looking for alternatives to their alternatives. They yet settled connected Díaz, who seemed rather flattered by the involvement from the Bundesliga champions and acceptable to determination connected from Anfield.

Knowing that fewer options were left, Bayern did not permission the negotiating array aft their opening connection was rejected by the Premier League champions. Instead, they submitted an improved bid portion hoping that Díaz would explicit to Liverpool's decision-makers his tendency to leave, which helium did.

After the departures of Thomas Müller, Leroy Sané and Mathys Tel successful caller weeks, Bayern knew they had to adhd to their attack. And aft Jamal Musiala suffered a fractured leg successful the Club World Cup quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain, the unit connected Bayern manager of athletics Max Eberl accrued adjacent more.

Eberl takes a sizeable hazard by signing Díaz due to the fact that of the size of the fiscal commitment. Díaz is expected to gain €14 cardinal earlier taxes, a root told ESPN, a 66% summation from his wage astatine Liverpool. The Bavarian nine really wanted to little their payroll this summer, fixed that they person a fig of players with yearly salaries successful the 8 digits, but Díaz's declaration continues the trend.

Eberl has faced disapproval for his negotiating and squad-building skills, and erstwhile again, it looks arsenic though helium has struck an mean woody astatine best. Díaz volition beryllium 32 erstwhile his four-year declaration expires, making it improbable that helium volition person overmuch worth should helium request to beryllium moved.

Bayern person had a proclivity for wingers since they signed Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry successful the precocious 2000s and kickstarted a play of success. As Robben and Ribéry aged out, the likes of Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Sané took over, and it seems arsenic if caput manager Vincent Kompany wants to proceed putting an accent connected explosive wide players. Michael Olise joined Bayern past summertime and was arguably their champion subordinate successful his archetypal play astatine the club.

One root told ESPN that that Kompany was successful favour of adding Díaz to the squad. Not lone tin helium play connected the left, but helium has besides proven to beryllium a competent striker, making 15 starts arsenic a No. 9 successful Slot's squad past season. One mightiness adjacent reason that Díaz is much unsafe coming done the mediate than from the near these days. Regardless of his position, helium is seen arsenic an effectual presser who volition acceptable into Bayern's system.

During the Club World Cup, Kompany experimented with a 4-4-2, with Gnabry and Harry Kane playing up front. Díaz could beryllium different enactment for a relation adjacent to Kane, particularly if Bayern bash not negociate to motion guardant Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart.

The worst lawsuit for Eberl would beryllium his astir costly signing this summertime having an mean play and not instantly justifying the precocious declaration value. At the aforesaid time, Kompany runs the hazard of alienating younger players if helium isn't consenting to springiness immoderate of the existent harvest of academy graduates a chance.

Bayern person a fewer promising prospects successful attacking midfield, astir notably 19-year-old Paul Wanner, but it appears that opportunities with the archetypal squad volition beryllium limited. And the chances of them seeing the tract immoderate clip soon person decreased with Díaz's arrival. -- Constantin Eckner