Liverpool FC are still reeling from the departure of Luis Diaz to FC Bayern and now coach Arne Slot has spoken out about how much the English top club misses the Colombian winger – and why the Reds made a conscious decision to sell him
When asked whether Liverpool miss Diaz in sporting terms, Slot replied openly: „You always miss good players. He was very important for us last season, but he wasn’t the only one. There were other players who had an influence on our results.“ At the same time, the Dutchman made it clear that the club does not see his departure as a singular loss. „But I think we have replaced them with very good players as well.“
Slot also put the transfer into perspective and referred to the Reds‘ business model. „Luis Diaz is another example of how this club is run. When this club receives an offer like this for a 28-year-old, this club, being focused on sustainability, chooses to sell a player, and that makes us an exception in the Premier League, especially at the top of the Premier League,“ explained the Liverpool coach. In his view, this approach in particular is a success factor: „But that’s why it’s so nice that we’ve been able to achieve what we’ve achieved in recent years with this model.“
Luis Diaz shines at FC Bayern
Slot is not surprised that Diaz continues to perform at the highest level – on the contrary: „But he’s doing very well at FC Bayern, and that doesn’t surprise me,“ he said, referring to the 29-year-old’s strong performances in Munich
Diaz has quickly developed into one of the defining attacking players at FC Bayern since his transfer. With goals, assists and high intensity, he fits perfectly into Vincent Kompany’s game and has long been regarded internally as an absolute difference-maker. While Munich are benefiting from the signing, it is becoming increasingly clear in Liverpool how difficult the loss is both in sporting and emotional terms.