3 weeks ago
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Former Liverpool and Bayern Munich ace Dietmar Hamann has advised his previous club to halt their chase for Luis Diaz. It comes as Bayern fans want their board fired over the transfer interest involving the forward.
The Colombian is believed to have expressed his desire to leave Liverpool, with a potential move to Bayern on the cards. However, this didn't deter the Reds from turning down a hefty £58.5 million ($78.7M) offer from the German titans earlier this week.
Diaz, aged 28, still has two years left on his contract and continues to be a key player for Arne Slot, having clocked up 50 appearances last season. Despite strong links to Barcelona, it was Bayern who made the initial approach with a bid.
The Bundesliga champions are keen to bring in at least one forward this summer, following Leroy Sane's move to Galatasaray after his contract ended and Jamal Musiala's horrific leg break and dislocated ankle during the Club World Cup.
However, Hamann believes they should steer clear of Diaz. Speaking to Sky Germany, the former Liverpool and Bayern midfielder expressed his reservations about signing the ex-Porto star, who transferred to Anfield in January 2022 for £37.5M ($50.4M).
"To now bring in Luis Diaz, a 28-year-old South American who played 50 games per season for four or five years and has those long flights home - which are also a problem - to pay 70 or 80 million for that, while the sale value is zero because he would be 32 at the end of his contract, I wonder what they even have the campus [academy] for?" he questioned.
Hamann has suggested that Bayern Munich should opt for former Brighton right winger Brajan Gruda instead of pursuing Luis Diaz. The 21-year-old, who transferred to Mainz last summer, has been turning heads with his performances in the Bundesliga and for Germany's under-21 side at the European Championship.
"I would get Gruda," stated Hamann, a product of Bayern's youth system who went on to make over 100 appearances for the senior team. "For me, he's one of the best German players. He was injured for a long time, but played very well towards the end of the season. Gruda can play on the outside and in the middle. He would be my first option."
Despite Diaz being open to a move to Bayern, it appears his agent has been in discussions with Barcelona's sporting director, Deco. In a chat with Catalan radio station RAC 1, Deco acknowledged their interest in both the Liverpool forward and Marcus Rashford.
"We like Luis, we like Rashford, and we like other players," Deco mentioned. "Out of respect, talking about players who are under contract with other clubs is complicated. When we go to the market, there are names we know that could improve the team."
Barcelona's boss Hansi Flick also weighed in towards the end of the previous season: "I don't want to speak about players which are not in my team, but of course Luis Diaz and Marcus Rashford are fantastic players. I like them and we'll see what happens."
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