Unfazed by Sadio Mané’s disastrous spell in Bavaria, Bayern Munich have opted for a Liverpool winger to fill their biggest void this summer.
The Bundesliga champions have so far been left frustrated in the transfer market, watching Florian Wirtz choose Anfields and Nico Williams pen a contract extension with Athletic Club.
Liverpool were intent on retaining Luis Díaz off the back of his most productive season on Merseyside, but Bayern proved to be persistent and offered money that couldn’t be turned down for a 28-year-old not set on committing his future to the club. The Colombian international tried admirably to succeed Mané at Anfield and, overall, did a pretty good job.
Now, he’s aiming to comprehensively outdo the Senegal legend in Bavaria, with a demanding Bayern fanbase expecting Díaz to coalesce with the club’s array of attacking stars and help morph Vincent Kompany’s side into potential European champions.
Here’s an assessment of who came out better of the Díaz transfer: Bayern or Liverpool?
Transfer Fee
While Díaz was keen to test himself elsewhere after helping Liverpool to the Premier League title last season, the Reds did not want to let him go. The winger played an important supporting role to Mohamed Salah, and was utilised in various roles within Arne Slot’s fluid attack.
Barcelona and Bayern struggled their way through negotiations with the Reds initially, before the former eventually pivoted to the loan signing of Marcus Rashford. The Catalans were unable to meet Liverpool’s demands, but Bayern’s desperation meant they were persistent.
The German giants had a couple of bids turned down, but Díaz’s desire to leave meant they always had a sniff. Eventually, a deal worth £65.5 million ($88 million) was agreed between the two clubs, with Liverpool set to bank a profit on the 28-year-old after paying a little more than £50 million ($66.7 million) for his services three years ago, if you include add-ons.
Losing your second highest Premier League scorer from last season might not be ideal, but it’s hard to complain about the money Liverpool have received for the Colombian. Given his age, production in England and potential sell-on value, there’s no denying that Bayern have paid over the odds. The inflated price represents the pressure the German club felt in their bid to sign a new left winger.
Squad Depth
Liverpool may well have been reluctant to move on from Díaz this summer, but they didn’t completely rule out a transfer due to who their alternative options in attack.
Díaz was signed as a left winger, but he often performed as a false nine for the champions last season, when Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota weren’t called upon. Slot returned Cody Gakpo to the left flank, and the Dutchman currently looks poised to be the day one starter when the new season rolls around.
Gakpo scored 10 times in the league last season, and enjoyed an excellent run of form before he got injured at the end of winter. In short, Liverpool have someone capable of filling Díaz’s shoes out wide, while the addition of Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt means Slot has an exciting striker alternative. Record signing Wirtz has also been used as a false nine at the start of pre-season.
The Reds, even without the potential addition of a certain Swede, look well set to cope in Díaz’s absence. Although, they will certainly miss the winger’s versatility, tireless energy and relentlessness.
Bayern will hope he hits the ground running and quickly emerges as an undisputed starter down the left, with Harry Kane and Michael Olise the current guarantees in their attack. Questions remain as to how they’ll fill the Jamal Musiala-sized hole in the No. 10 position that will exist for at least the next few months. Díaz, based on his antics last season, could provide some mitigation here.
Kompany can also continue to lean on the veteran services of Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman.
If Díaz can perform centrally in Musiala’s absence, Bayern’s attacking depth is greatly improved in two areas. Liverpool, meanwhile, have lost a reliable performer and will now lean on unproven Premier League stars instead.
Room For More Signings?
Despite spending close to £300 million ($398.6 million) on new playing talent this summer, Liverpool may well be saving their most expensive acquisition for last. Alexander Isak’s desire to leave Newcastle United has piques their interest, and the big-money sale of Díaz may allow the Reds to edge closer to the Magpies’ reported £150 million ($199.3 million) valuation of the Swedish striker.
If they fail in their pursuit of the Newcastle forward, the Reds could pivot to Real Madrid’s Rodrygo. In short, the sale of Díaz should help them conduct more business this summer, although they will look to sell a couple more.
Bayern, meanwhile, have underwhelmed in the transfer market so far, and could be limited after making Díaz their third most expensive signing ever. The Bavarians have also added Jonathan Tah and Tom Bischof on free transfers.
Their splash on the Colombian surely rules them out of the running for Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade, who’s been viewed as a potential Harry Kane successor, and Bayern are somewhat limited on how much they can spend this summer as a result of their huge wage bill, which ranked second highest in Europe last season (per FBRef).
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool or Bayern Munich: Who Won the Luis Diaz Transfer?.
