By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com
“Since the first day I arrived, I’ve always been happy, calm, enjoying the football played at this great team,” Liverpool’s No. 7 told Colombian media after the 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
“We’ll be talking about [a new contract], we’ll talk about it. For me, I’d stay however many years it takes. It also depends on the club, everything; these are details that are worked out separately.
“[I am] very calm, I’m happy and enjoying the Premier League.”
Amid speculation over a summer move to Barcelona or perhaps even the Saudi Pro League, Díaz‘s comments changed the narrative and made clear where his allegiances lie.
Nearing the end of his third full season at Anfield and the final two years of his current deal, the Colombian appears to have found a home: and that has reflected in a key role within Arne Slot‘s attack.
Converted from a left winger to a deep-dropping No. 9 – accommodating Cody Gakpo‘s switch back out wide and the poor form of both Diogo Jota and Darwin Núñez – he has played the second-most minutes of any attacker behind only Mohamed Salah.
Salah and Alexis Mac Allister are the only players to make more appearances in Slot’s first season at Liverpool and Salah is the only player to have a hand in more goals.
With 17 goals and eight assists in his 48 outings this term so far, Díaz has recorded his second-best tally for goal contributions in a single campaign – his best coming with 22 goals and 11 assists in a 54-game season bridging Porto and Liverpool in 2021/22.
Again, Salah is the only Liverpool player to create more chances than Díaz in the Premier League, while the centre-forward is tied with Curtis Jones for the highest rate of possession won in the final third per 90.
Thrown into an unfamiliar role midway through the campaign, Díaz showed his flexibility and tactical awareness to become a player crucial to Slot’s success.
There are, therefore, many reasons to expect negotiations between a player both eager to stay and vital to the cause to be more straightforward than those of Salah, Virgil van Dijk and, failingly, Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Only Liverpool have other factors to consider when it comes to Díaz, not least his long-term value in a squad which will undergo significant changes over the summer.
Díaz is still tied to the contract he first signed when he made the £50 million move from Porto in January 2022, and though FotMob understands claims he is earning a low £55,000 per week are wide of the mark, he is certainly not among the club’s highest earners.
There will be a motivation from the player’s side to agree terms more appropriate for a player of his importance; but for the club there are other matters to consider.
Firstly, he turned 28 in January and, though part of Slot’s strongest XI this season, there is reason to believe that could change after the summer.
Liverpool are expected to push heavily for a new centre-forward to replace Núñez, with Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško among the names being considered.
It stands to reason that any incoming No. 9 will be brought in as a long-term first choice, therefore lessening the reliance on an out-of-position Díaz, who could then find himself back in competition with Gakpo – himself only just 26 – for a spot on the left wing.
And while Díaz should back himself to win the battle for a place in the side such is his elite-level ability, there are clearly no guarantees he will be a leading player for Slot’s evolving Liverpool.
That would make it difficult for the club to commit leading wages to a player neither assured of a starting place nor with a reasonable scope to develop into that position with years ahead of him.
Though it sometimes leads to unpopular decisions, Liverpool are a club run more thoughtfully than many of their rivals, and there will be reservations among those on their board at risking a situation akin to that seen at Manchester United.
It could be argued that Díaz has missed the boat, then, when it comes to landing that top contract at Anfield – already in his peak years and, unlike Salah who negotiated a two-year extension at the age of 32, not quite indispensable.
However, that is not to say that Liverpool will not feel the same way as Díaz about prolonging their association, but there is certainly cause to believe the situation may not be as straightforward as his comments would indicate.
Much could depend on whether a lucrative offer arrives from the Middle East, but the ideal scenario may be to hold off and revisit the situation in a year’s time, knowing Díaz will hold his value with 12 months remaining and can still play a key role next season.
The same could apply to Jota, a loyal player and a deadly finisher when fit, and elsewhere in the squad with Andy Robertson, Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo.
Liverpool will need those stalwarts to ensure consistency in a season where they will defend the Premier League title with a number of new faces in their ranks, but it should also be recognised that this a squad of champions in transition.
Díaz is perhaps in the most difficult position of the lot: a player caught in the liminal space between one of Slot’s staples and one who could soon find his importance diminish as progress is made in building a new-look Liverpool.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
To keep up to date with everything Liverpool, make sure you click follow on the team profile in the FotMob app. Download the free app here.
