Barcelona want to sign Liverpool attacker; move dubbed impossible due to Reds' reluctance to sell: Reports
Barcelona are keen on signing Liverpool's Luis Diaz, according to Diario Sport's Alfredo Martinez. The journalist also claims that the attacker is open to joining the Spanish giants.
It has been well established that the Catalans are on the lookout for an attacking midfielder and a left winger. The Colombian has been on the radar of the Spanish giants for as long as he's played at Anfield. However, the report states that Barcelona are aware that getting Diaz's signature will prove to be an uphill task as Liverpool are unwilling to sell their talisman.
The 27-year-old has been a regular starter for Jurgen Klopp's side and has a contract with the club until 2027. The aforementioned report states that Diaz is highly appreciated by the Catalans, who are looking to bolster their squad following a harrowing Champions League defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
In his 61 appearances for the club, Diaz has 16 goals and nine assists. However, his contribution transcends the number of goals he has scored. His runs from behind and ability to dribble past defenders are truly mouth-watering.
Liverpool were eliminated from the Europa League following their 1-3 aggregate defeat at the hands of Atalanta.
Liverpool's Luis Diaz keen on a move to the Catalan giants
Diaz's father had once iterated that his son has been a lifelong Barcelona fan. Furthermore, the Colombian has also previously expressed his desire to play in Spain one day.
Interestingly, the Reds reportedly value the former Porto player at £75m (€87m), a fee which is almost impossible for Barca to pay given their financial constraints.
Barcelona lost Ousmane Dembele last summer and are keen on signing a differential winger who can make a dent from the get-go and believe Diaz ticks all the boxes, as per the aforementioned report.
Besides the Liverpool winger, the Catalans are also interested in bringing AS Roma's Paulo Dybala on board. The World Cup winner, as Barcelonareportedly believe, will help the team strike a balance between young and experienced players.
As for the 30-year-old, it might be his last chance for a big-money move to a UCL-contending club since his arrival at Roma from Juventus. With all things said and done, any and all transfers are complicated by the Blaugrana's financial restrictions.
To even bring a player like Diaz on board, they'll have to offload several players and while the club is keen on showing the door to several players, it's unlikely that their exit will generate enough resources.