Liverpool agree £65.5m deal to sell winger to Bayern Munich

According to multiple reports, Premier League champions Liverpool have agreed to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich. The total fee for the deal is £65.5m.

Diaz has two years left on his current contract with the Reds, but he is set to leave for Germany, where he will continue his football career. The Colombian winger has now been granted permission to leave the club’s Asia tour. 

Liverpool turned down Bayern Munich’s opening bid, reportedly around £58.5 million (€67 million), but the Bundesliga giants came back with an improved proposal worth £65.5 million (€75 million), including performance-related add-ons.

Liverpool, who have been very active in the summer, were unwilling to let a first-team player leave, but the player reportedly forced the move, and with it being the second time following the one in the summer of 2024. 

Regardless of the imminent exit of Diaz, fans have been getting their Liverpool tickets ahead of the new season.

Liverpool accepts Bayern Munich’s offer for Diaz

Liverpool have accepted the offer from Liverpool after securing what the club considers to be full market value.

Luis Díaz made his move to Liverpool in January 2022 for a confirmed fee of £37.5 million (€42.9m), agreeing to a five-and-a-half-year deal. 

Despite his exit, Liverpool’s transfer strategy remains unchanged, with the arrival of Hugo Ekitike already secured to bolster their attacking options.

However, the Reds are reportedly preparing to make a move for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, who has hinted he wants to explore options away from the Magpies. 

Slot: Diaz was left out vs AC Milan due to uncertain future

Liverpool manager Arne Slot revealed on Saturday that Luis Diaz was omitted from the squad to play against AC Milan amid ongoing transfer rumours, while Darwin Nunez was ruled out due to an injury concern.

“One of the positions that we didn’t have was a No 9,” Slot told LFC TV after the 4-2 defeat.

“We had one, Hugo [Ekitike], but he wasn’t ready to play yet. Darwin was injured. Lucho [Luis Diaz] couldn’t play as well.”

Slot reiterated this with further comments, adding: “In Lucho’s situation it was, yeah [the reason why he was left out].

“There’s a lot of rumours around him lately and I cannot go into that. He’s training well with us but we have decided, for now, not to play him yet.

“I’m used to talking to most of my players regularly. Like I said, Lucho is training really well and we’ve decided that he’s not playing at the moment in the games. I cannot comment much more about that.”

Liverpool signs Hugo Ekitike

Despite being linked with Isak, Liverpool have gone ahead to complete the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike for an initial £69m, subject to international clearance.

The 23-year-old Frenchman, following the completion of his medical and other documentation, flew out to join Liverpool’s pre-season tour of Asia.

Eintracht Frankfurt agreed to a £79 million deal earlier this week—£69 million upfront with an additional £10 million in performance-based add-ons. The signing takes Liverpool’s total summer outlay beyond the £250 million mark. Their headline acquisition remains Florian Wirtz, who joined in a potential British record move worth £116 million, while full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong were secured for a combined £70 million.

Meanwhile, Newcastle, who had a £70m bid for Ekitike rejected this month, could also lose striker Alexander Isak to the Reds.

“Hugo has developed tremendously in his one and a half years with us and has been a true asset to our team and the entire club both on and off the pitch. We are delighted that he can now take the next step – a step he has earned through his performances with us,” Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krosche said.

“I feel very proud,” Ekitike said to Liverpoolfc.com. Obviously it’s a big, big club. I’m just excited, I’m a bit like a kid. I’ve been dreaming to come and play in the Premier League. And to play for Liverpool is a big, big good feeling for me. I just can’t wait to start to play games and to win trophies.

On the first conversation with Arne Slot, the striker said, “We had a very good first discussion together. Obviously the coach is very human so we could talk not only about football, but] about everything. I find him very interesting and I was very pleased to see what I can do with him because I think he is a really nice guy and I can still improve and progress with him. So, yeah, he is a really good coach and a good person first, so that’s why he made me want to come here.”

Ekitike was grateful to Frankfurt for the time he spent there.

“I’m really grateful to them. I could express myself. I found family there, really nice people. They took time, they have been patient with me. I made mistakes also on the pitch, and I could improve. That’s the best way to learn and become a better footballer and better person, because I think I have been growing on both sides. I’m just really, really grateful and they’ll always stay in my heart,” the Frenchman concluded. 

Ekitike played a key role in Frankfurt’s impressive Bundesliga campaign last season, netting 15 goals and contributing eight assists across 31 starts as the club secured a third-place finish.

On where he hopes to play for the club, the forward responded by saying, “I mean, I do what the coach asks me to do, but yeah, I like to do everything. I can’t define myself only as a striker [who likes] to finish: I like to play, I like to be in the game, in the collective part of play [and] create also. So, I can do both – I can play alone and I like to play also with another striker and I think that’s what makes me versatile, but you know now in this football you need to adapt.”

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