Despite Liverpool being one of Europe’s top sides, there are still a few sides that can turn its players’ heads. Jürgen Klopp though has changed the transfer reality.
Under Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool has established itself as one of the behemoths in Europe. Last season’s disappointment aside, the Reds have been one of the best teams on the planet with the German in charge.
Despite that lofty stature, there are still some clubs capable of turning the heads of Liverpool’s players. Not many, mind you.
Real Madrid can certainly lay claim to that honor. Bayern Munich could also throw its hat into the ring, having convinced Sadio Mané to make the move to Germany last year. And who knows, Manchester City might also have the same pulling power, although Liverpool would likely resist any moves from a direct rival in the Premier League.
Barcelona though has been the biggest draw for some in recent history. Luis Suárez of course made the move to the Nou Camp back in 2014 after Javier Mascherano made the same journey four years previous, and Liverpool got its biggest payday when Philippe Coutinho swapped Merseyside for Catalonia in 2018.
The more observant among you will notice a pattern among those three players — they all hail from South America. La Liga, and Barcelona and Real Madrid in particular, holds a big draw for players from that continent, and it might well draw in another of Liverpool’s stars in the future.
Luis Díaz has been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent days, with Argentine journalist Christian Martin telling DSports earlier this week that Liverpool is “expecting” an offer at some point. Quite what timeframe that entails is anyone’s guess, although the player’s father has confirmed a move to the Nou Camp would be a ‘dream’ for the 26-year-old.
“[The] truth is that I know very little about Barcelona at the moment,” Luis Manuel Díaz told Win Sports, as reported by Sport Witness. “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.
There doesn’t seem to be much to worry about for Liverpool at the moment, but like Coutinho, Díaz will no doubt be eager to realize his Barcelona dream at some stage. Unlike Coutinho though, there is not the same rush to get a deal done.
When the Brazilian eventually left Liverpool, the Reds were still in the building process under Klopp. At that stage, Virgil van Dijk had only just arrived at Anfield, and we were still a few months away from the arrivals of Alisson and Fabinho to complete what would become an all-conquering side.
