"I wouldn’t be surprised" - Fabrizio Romano says Liverpool might look to tie down star to new deal after Konate contract extension
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Liverpool might look to tie down Luis Diaz on a new deal after offering Ibrahima Konate an extension. The Reds have a host of their star players' contracts expiring in the next couple of years.
The fans are sweating over the futures of three of the club's best players, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. All three of them have their current deals expiring next summer, but the Reds seem focused on contract talks with other players right now.
Reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Liverpool's next priority after tying down Ibrahima Konate to a new deal is Luis Diaz. He has also claimed that the Colombia international was the subject of interest from major European clubs in the summer.
Romano insisted that Richard Hughes and Arne Slot convinced the former FC Porto star to stay put at Anfield. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Italian journalist claimed, as quoted by TBR Football:
“Luis Diaz in the summer, in August, it is true, some important clubs were prepared to attack the situation of Luis Diaz. Credit to Liverpool because Richard Hughes and Arne Slot together spoke to Luis Diaz and presented the new project."
He added:
“Let me tell you today that I wouldn’t be surprised if Liverpool after Ibou Konate, who will be the next one to extend his contract, negotiate a new deal with Luis Diaz. Liverpool want to try to make a new deal happen with Lucho.”
Luis Diaz joined Liverpool from FC Porto in January 2022 in a deal worth a reported £37.5 million with £12.5 million in add-ons. He has been an important player for the Reds so far, having scored 33 goals and provided 15 assists in 113 appearances.
Diaz has been phenomenal under Arne Slot this season having scored nine goals and produced two assists in 15 games. The Colombia international, aged 27, has his current deal at Anfield expiring in 2027.
Gary Neville offers his opinion on the Premier League title race following Liverpool's strong start to the season
Pundit Gary Neville has opened up on the Premier League title race with Liverpool emerging as a strong contender. The former Manchester United right-back predicted the Reds to miss out on a top-four finish at the start of the season.
However, following the Reds' strong start to the season, he has now taken his words back. Neville told The Overlap:
“I never change my predictions at this stage of the season, but my predictions were that Liverpool wouldn’t even be in the top four. That has to change, I think. Because they’ve done a far better job of settling Arne Slot in than I imagined and getting over the Jurgen Klopp exit."
However, Neville believes that Manchester City and Arsenal remain the two strongest sides in the Premier League despite their underwhelming start to the campaign. He added:
"But I do think City and Arsenal will hit their stride at some point and at that point they will prove to still be the best two teams in the country. So, I don’t feel like I’m watching a champion team, but if this is the real City and Arsenal that we’re going to see all season and they’re going to be as inconsistent as they’ve been in these first ten games, then they could end up with a shot.”
“They’re the only other team really that can win it but I still think it’s an outside bet," the former Manchester United captain added.
Liverpool sit at the top of the Premier League table as well as the Champions League's league phase table. Arne Slot has lost just one of his first 16 games in charge across competitions while drawing one and winning the remaining 14.