Liverpool ‘really, really keen’ to sign Dias clone for £103m

One of Liverpool’s most prominent accounts may still be taking his word for it a year later, hailing the signing of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz to replace Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz as “the biggest upgrade in football history”.

Mohamed Salah responded at the time, questioning why supporters could not “celebrate a great signing without disrespecting the Premier League champions”.

Well, the Egyptian was right to praise the efforts of Nuñez and Diaz. The latter in particular was absent last season as coach Arne Slott oversaw a desperately disappointing title defense.

The decision to sell the Colombian in a deal worth £65.5 million certainly still hurts, not least because of his explosive form since Bayern Munich, and there is no doubt that the Reds will be looking for a viable solution on the left.

Liverpool still ‘really, really keen’ to seal £103m deal

Hugo Ekitike remains on a long-term absence. Salah has left, but Isak is still fighting his way back to full fitness, and there is no doubt that attacking reinforcements are a must at Anfield.

Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in Kodi Gakpo has also been noted, and the Dutchman’s potential departure will further increase the need for new reinforcements.

Of course, the likely option would have been RB Leipzig’s Yann Diomande, but the 19-year-old seems set on joining Paris Saint-Germain, either this summer or later.

This move could be a boon for Liverpool, opening the door to signing Bradley Barcola from the Ligue 1 side, with Fabrizio Romano outlining on the Herewego podcast that a sale for the 23-year-old cannot be ruled out.

Indeed, according to Romano, Andoni Iraola are firmly in the running for the Frenchman, but Arsenal are also in the process of looking for a new left winger.

“I’m not saying Barcola won’t be for sale at the end of June, because I think there’s still a chance we’ll see some movement because Liverpool are very interested and Barcola is on Arsenal’s list. But Liverpool are really, really keen on this player.”

Romano outlined that the Champions League winners would need “significant funds” to consider a sale, which could amount to around £103m.

Why Barcola can be like Liverpool’s mainstay Diaz

Liverpool’s succession plan couldn’t have been better, with Jurgen Klopp bringing Dias on board in January 2022, just months before Sadio Mane left for the Colombian’s current team, Bayern.

But while it would be an overstatement to say that Diaz was initially a huge success, Diaz missed most of his first full season due to a knee injury and finished with just 14 league goals and assists in 2023-24.

However, it was after Slott’s arrival that everything really clicked, with the former Porto speedster scoring 18 goals and assists in the top flight and playing a crucial role in their recent title win.

The speed and tenacity of his game in 2024/25 was truly breathtaking, whether on the left or in a makeshift number nine role.

It’s easy to see why Barcola could take up the mantle next term, as the former Lyon star himself is already arguably “one of the best left-wingers in Europe” in the opinion of Como scout Ben Mattinson.

Like Dias, the France international has a formidable combination of speed and skill, and can terrorize opposition defenders with his direct dribbling skills from the left.

Interestingly, Scout Lab points out that while Díaz was actually the player most similar to Barcola in Europe’s top five leagues last season, the South American was considered the fifth most similar player in 2024/25.

That season, Díaz scored 13 goals and assisted five in the Premier League, while Barcola shone in Paris, reaching double figures for both goals and assists in Ligue 1.

Also this year, he created 18 “big chances” and averaged one successful dribble per game, while Diaz created only eight “big chances” but averaged 1.5 completed dribbles per game.

The most similar thing about this pair, both statistically and stylistically, is their ability to create something out of nothing, two true game-changers who can win games on their own.

In 2025-2026, Salah’s aging team simply lacked that, and Iraola’s team needed an injection of new quality and dynamism.

Barcola, like Diaz before him, could be the man to provide just that.