New Luis Diaz could sign for Liverpool

There are many reasons for Liverpool’s landslide form last season, but in hindsight it’s clear that FSG should not have sold Luis Diaz and replaced him.

He was replaced by Codi Gakpo last year, but that negatively affected the fluency of Arne Slott’s side, which lacked dynamism and flair in the final third and endured a dismal Premier League title defence.

Now that Slott has been sacked, FSG are already looking to clear things up by signing Victor Muñoz from Spanish side Osasuna for £34.5 million.

There is also interest in Bradley Barcola, with Bayern seeking a record £128m for his signature.

How Luis Diaz became a star after leaving Liverpool

Diaz is a special football player. He boasts a unique blend of tenacity and technicality, the kind of tenacity that has propelled him into higher-minded conversations now that he has left Liverpool and settled into Bayern Munich’s title-winning squad.

Last season, the Colombian scored 26 goals and provided 23 assists in 51 games for Die Roten, with Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos hailing him as a “champion” of players.

As well as being powerful in the final third, the 29-year-old actively presses with concentration and intensity, without wasting any energy. Sadly, Liverpool did not have such a profile at their disposal last year, leading to an increased reliance on inexperienced teenager Rio Ngmoha towards the end of the campaign.

In fairness, Ngumoha has superstar potential and looks like someone who could play a central role in Liverpool’s frontline for years to come.

However, given the seriousness of Liverpool’s situation and the need for an immediate facelift at the start of the Ilaola era, it is understandable that Ilaola would hope for another, more experienced attacker to stabilize the Anfield side’s attacking system.

Maybe someone like Diaz.

New Diaz aspires to join Liverpool

Liverpool built a dynasty on the effort of discreetly and shrewdly completing deals. The Reds have signed superstars, but they also know how to find overlooked talent and develop them into sensations.

That’s why they shouldn’t cry over their failure to sign RB Leipzig’s Yann Diomande, and could instead go down a different route to the £128m-valued Bradley Barcola and sign Benfica’s emerging winger Andreas Schjelderup.

This was reported by Portuguese media outlet A Bola, which revealed that Schjölderup is keen to leave Portugal for the Premier League this summer, following his strong performances for Norway at the World Cup. Valued at €40m (approximately £34m), the Norwegian will be a relatively cheap signing.

This is not the first time Liverpool have poached exciting attacking talent from Portugal in recent years. Díaz joined the club from Porto in January 2022 for a fee of £37m, before making a less auspicious raid on Benfica in 2023 to sign Darwin Nunez. At a total of £85 million, it was the richest contract of Jurgen Klopp’s era.

Schjelderup has a ferocious, nimble gait, albeit with a more touchline-focused wing-playing approach than his rival Dias. Dias’ directness allowed him to develop into an instant centre-forward in the slot throughout the 2024-25 season, helping Anfield win the Premier League title.

However, Schelderup, who is only 23 years old, has played in various central positions during his career and is a true centre-forward, contributing seven goals in 15 games. Iraola enjoys versatility as a forward (look at Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Junior Crupi) and you can see why he is a vested interest for the Merseysiders.

At the World Cup, Schjerderup really started to come into his own. Those of the Three Lions persuasion will argue that his opening goal in the quarter-finals was something of a fluke, but it was a crowning moment for a player whose links with Erling Haaland throughout the competition have powered his country through the business end.

His efforts for his country caused analyst Filipe Souza to marvel at his “world-class potential” and captivate him with a knockout victory over Brazil.

Liverpool will be hoping to sign the rising star for a shrewd fee, just as they did with Munoz. He’s already proving he can hold his own on the big stage, but he may still have plenty of potential to become a superstar like Diaz.

A flashy and electrifying attacker, Schjerderup is developing into a very good player and is sure to attract increasing interest in the coming weeks and months, and signing him now would allow FSG to build a serious power play and make their Premier League dreams a reality.