Liverpool open contract talks with star in response to Barcelona interest

Liverpool are poised to offer winger Luis Diaz a new long-term contract after he was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer.

Diaz has enjoyed a strong start to the new Premier League season, which was capped on Sunday as his two first-half goals helped Liverpool claim a 3-0 victory over Manchester United in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old, who has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €46.7 million, has three years left to run on his deal, but in a bid to further secure his future, Liverpool are ready to offer him a new contract, according to ThisIsAnfield.

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Luis Diaz’s present deal is worth only £55,000 per week, which is extremely low by the standards of the Premier League in general. It is also a pittance compared to the Colombia star’s teammates, with Mohamed Salah’s salary a reported £350,000 per week and even new signing Federico Chiesa on £120,000.

Liverpool are ready to reassess the value of the former Porto star, and in a bid to prevent a repeat of the situation that sees Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Salah all having expiring contracts in 2025 will move to secure his long-term future rapidly.

Interest from PSG and, particularly, Barcelona complicates this task.

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Luis Diaz’s Barcelona ‘dream’

Luis Diaz’s father has previously admitted that it is the “dream” of his son to play for the Camp Nou outfit in the future.

Speaking in November 2023, when rumours surrounding a move to Barca were starting to build, Luis Manuel Diaz told Win Sports: “The truth is that I know very little about Barcelona at the moment. It is true that Luis is a loyal Barcelona fan and it would be his dream to go there.

“So far I would like to thank Porto and Liverpool for the way they welcomed him and received him. Luis is a player who finds it easy to win over because of the way he is, because of his humility, his work, his dedication, he is a very disciplined player, thank God. There would be no problem if Luis came to Barcelona because it is a top team and one of the best in the world.”

Naturally, this has cast doubt over the player’s long-term commitment to Liverpool, yet with Barcelona chasing Nico Williams, a sizeable pay rise at Anfield could help keep him satisfied.