After missing out on Nico Williams, Barcelona have again turned their attentions to Liverpool winger Luis Diaz. The Colombian appears to be their top target for the remainder of the summer, but the idea of signing him has been met with mixed reaction by the fanbase.
The question is, should Barcelona be pursuing Diaz? Any signing is something of a lottery, the gamble you might find at BTC casino, but is the Colombian worth it? Here’s a look at the some of the benefits Diaz would bring to the Catalan side.
There is no doubt that Diaz is amongst the best players in the world. While perhaps not quite possessing the quality of the very best there is, Diaz is definitely in that echelon below. He would arguably provide more natural talent to a frontline that is relying on Robert Lewandowski in his latter years, and Raphinha coming off a campaign it seems impossible to repeat.
Diaz would also give a more natural outlet on the left side, and a source of inspiration: the Colombian has the ability to beat his defender and rupture the opposition defence. That is something it has been said that Barcelona fear they lack beyond Lamine Yamal, and at 28, Diaz has a maturity that is also rare in this Barcelona side. While not providing top level production, he is also a source of goals and assists, and he is versatile enough to play anywhere in the final third. Going the other way, Barcelona can expect a high work-rate too, something which would fit in with Hansi Flick’s pressing style.
While there can be little debating his quality, the question is whether Barcelona, a side with limited ability to spend, should blow most of their budget on Diaz? At his age, Barcelona are unlikely to be able to sell him on for anything close to the fee he costs. A rumoured asking price of €80m would also significantly impact their ability to pursue Lewandowski’s eventual replacement at number nine going forward – which definitely should be a priority.
There is also an argument that Barcelona would be spending big to strengthen an area that is already performing at a high level, when there is less depth in defence. The signing of Diaz would also hand Flick a good, but tricky problem to resolve. At least one of Dani Olmo, Lewandowski or Raphinha would have to start from the bench in big games, perhaps causing malcontent.
