According to a breaking report from Mundo Deportivo, Luis Diaz is Barcelona’s primary target to reinforce the left wing this summer. He even sits above Athletic Club sensation Nico Williams on the club’s wishlist.
The Colombian star has been on the Catalans’ radar for a long time now, and club president Joan Laporta and co. prefer his signing owing to the rich experience that he brings.
After all, he has seen more of the game at 27 years of age compared to Williams who is just 21 and offers more in the face of goal.
The player dreams of a move to Barcelona and is even said to be Deco’s favourite candidate to reinforce the attack. The only hurdle in his signing, however, is the economic aspect.
The one condition: A sale
As relayed by the Spanish outlet, Diaz’s price stands at about €60 million and Barcelona cannot afford to shell out such an amount without making a big sale. Liverpool, in fact, value him at around €75 million.
Out-of-favour winger Raphinha, thus, appears to be the player who the Catalans are willing to mortgage in exchange for Diaz’s services.
The Brazilian enjoyed a good season for the club in 2023-24, but the Blaugrana see the arrival of a natural left-winger to be more rewarding than the Brazilian’s output.
Moreover, he is one of the few players in the squad who has several offers on the table.
As reported recently, clubs in Saudi Arabia are willing to offer as much as €100 million for Raphinha while interest from the Premier League has also been spoken about.
Williams’ arrival is not feasible
Despite talks of Williams’ arrival taking Catalonia by storm in recent days, it now appears that the news has gone flaccid.
The youngster’s wage demands are too high and practically out of Barcelona’s reach given the current financial situation.
Moreover, the player even confirmed in a recent interview that he did not contemplate a move away from the Basque country yet.
All signs thus point to Diaz as the best-placed alternative. The big question, however, sits around the departure of Raphinha and how much Barcelona can recoup from the transaction.
