The new Diaz: FSG enter race to sign “world-class” £79m star for Liverpool

You could feel the elation rippling from the pitch. It was palpable. It was a reminder of what this squad are capable of doing to the best teams in the world. Liverpool had beaten Real Madrid in the Champions League for the second year running.

Following the professional win over Aston Villa to stop the rot of a four-match skid in the Premier League, head coach Arne Slot must have felt his side had turned a corner, but last weekend’s sobering loss at Manchester City showed the Reds have merely gone in circles.



Liverpool were outfought across every inch of the Etihad Stadium, and Slot will be chagrined after being outplayed by Pep Guardiola on the tactical chessboard. Granted, he’s not the first coach to lose such a battle against the Spaniard.

But the Reds are struggling to do the basics, and are such a far cry from the level of last season, when they dispatched so many opponents and won the league title with relative ease.

Tactical imbalances have been clear all season, and it’s obvious that Liverpool are missing Luis Diaz, who is doing so well with Bayern Munich this season.

If the problems continue for Slot, FSG may be forced to sign a new version of the Colombian.

Liverpool looking to replace Diaz

Florian Wirtz’s struggles since leaving Bayer Leverkusen and joining Liverpool for £116m this summer have been well documented.

The German playmaker, 22, is one of the most talented footballers out there, but he’s yet to find the physicality and fluency to succeed in the Premier League, and he might want to take a leaf from Diaz’s book in that regard.



Aside from Diaz’s potency in the final third, he is relentless in his work rate and rapid besides, adding width and dynamism down the flank. Liverpool need some of that, and appear to have found a candidate.

Indeed, according to Spanish sources, sporting director Richard Hughes has registered Liverpool’s interest in Real Madrid star Rodrygo, who has fallen well down the pecking order under Xabi Alonso.

Arsenal and Chelsea are also keen on the Brazil international, while Manchester City’s intrigue was confirmed by Fabrizio Romano this summer.



Florentino Perez wants €90m (£79m) for the versatile forward, but given his reduced role at Real Madrid over the past year or so, FSG would likely push to whittle down that hefty price tag.

What Rodrygo would offer Liverpool

Rodrygo finished the 2024/25 campaign at a low ebb. A few terms ago, the 24-year-old was regarded as one of the best wingers in the world, but a limited role at Real has precluded that tag from staying put.



This season, Alonso has handed Rodrygo only three starts across La Liga and the Champions League. He hasn’t yet scored, racking up two assists on the continent. This all points toward a divorce from the Santiago Bernabeu, for this is one of the most exciting and talented wide forwards in Europe, and he should have a role at a side that reflects that.

Liverpool could offer him this. Slot wanted to provide Rio Ngumoha with a pathway to the first team during the summer, and that is ostensibly why Diaz was not directly replaced.

This has proved a mistake, with the 17-year-old as yet untrusted to start games and feature prominently.

Rodrygo has the maturity and the world experience to not just challenge Wirtz and Cody Gakpo for a starting berth but stake his claim for a starring role deep into the Anfield pitch.

Sometimes, statistics must be viewed through a wider context. Take Rodrygo’s woes in the Spanish top flight last year, only scoring six goals and supplying six assists across 30 matches.

Poor, right? Well, Rodrygo was only afforded 12 starts by Carlo Ancelotti, and Sofascore data suggests he missed just one big chance, underscoring his clinical nature.

Real Madrid’s Rodrygo

Furthermore, the South American maverick posted six goals and assists apiece from left wing last year, despite only being handed a berth on that side 12 times across all competitions. At Liverpool, it is the left which beckons, and there he could refashion that world-renowned status that has been seen on the biggest stages before.

And even after this testing period, Rodrygo’s underlying quality does not lie, evidenced through many tactical similarities with Diaz across the past 12 months.

Rodrygo vs Luis Diaz (past 12 months)

Stats (per 90)

Rodrygo

Diaz

Goals

0.31

0.47

Assists

0.23

0.20

Shots taken

2.78

2.92

Shot-creating actions

4.71

4.21

Pass completion %

85.4

83.0

Touches (att pen)

6.49

6.27

Progressive passes

4.40

4.21

Progressive carries

5.91

3.73

Successful take-ons

2.47

1.98

Ball recoveries

3.75

4.40

Tackles + interceptions

2.09

1.36

Data via FBref

It’s curious to note that the tactical differences between the two are not that great. And this in spite of Rodrygo having fallen to the Los Blancos fringes well before the managerial shift this summer.

With Alonso at the helm, it’s patent that Rodrygo will not enjoy the regular minutes that his talent deserves. After all, Luka Modric once described him as being among the club’s “world-class superstars”.

Diaz has found remarkable prolificness since switching Liverpool for Bavaria in August, and while such levels were rarely sustained at Liverpool, with the Premier League notoriously difficult, there’s no denying Liverpool miss Diaz and his athletic profile.

Rodrygo could be the perfect tonic to turn the ship around. After all, Alonso doesn’t seem to want him, and Liverpool require just the profile.

Whether the Reds manage to pull off an audacious winter swoop is anyone’s guess, but Premier League rivals are also on the hunt, and Hughes needs to pull something off if this season is to be viewed as a success.

English Premier League club Liverpool are reportedly among several top European clubs monitoring the progress of RB Leipzig’s highly-rated Ivorian winger Yan Diomande.

Key Details

Player Profile: Yan Diomande is an 18-year-old Ivorian professional footballer who primarily plays as a left winger. He joined RB Leipzig in July 2025 from Spanish side CD Leganés for a reported €20 million fee.

Performance: Despite only moving to the Bundesliga this summer, Diomande has made an immediate impact, registering three goals and three assists in his first 10 league appearances, prompting interest from elite clubs. He is highly regarded for his explosive pace, technical skill, and composure.

Widespread Interest: Alongside Liverpool, clubs like Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea are also tracking the young talent.

Leipzig’s Stance: RB Leipzig have no intention of selling Diomande quickly and secured him on a long-term contract until 2030 with no release clause. The German club reportedly values the winger at around €100 million, seeing his potential as on par with top talents like Kylian Mbappé.

Transfer Rumors: Reports suggest that top clubs might make an approach next summer (2026), but any potential transfer would likely involve a substantial fee given Leipzig’s high valuation.

Currently, this is only transfer speculation and no official offer has been made by Liverpool.

Liverpool could be signing ‘one of best defenders in the world’ as £88m offer ‘prepared’

According to reports, Liverpool are preparing an £88million bid for a centre back recently dubbed “one of the best defenders in the world”

Liverpool’s spending this season could be set to rise above £500m(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool are reportedly preparing a blockbuster move for Inter Milan centre back Alessandro Bastoni as they look to bolster their defensive ranks. The Reds have been left short at the back following Giovanni Leoni’s long-term injury and their failed pursuit of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, prompting renewed interest in Bastoni to fill the gap.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Liverpool are readying an £88million bid for the 26-year-old, who has been hailed by Italy legend Giorgio Chiellini as “one of the best defenders” in world football.

“I know Alessandro well, he is one of the strongest central defenders around and for me, he is among the best in the world,” Chiellini said in 2023. “He is a player that Italy will be able to count on for many years, he just needs to continue working and maintaining the desire to improve.”

READ MORE: Liverpool step onto fascinating transfer merry-go-round as wildcard options emergesREAD MORE: Real Madrid ‘might be interested’ in Liverpool transfer for Dominik Szoboszlai

An attempt to sign Bastoni could come as early as January, though Liverpool are said to be open to waiting until the summer if necessary – a move that could prove crucial given Ibrahima Konate’s uncertain future, with his current deal expiring at the end of the season.

If the deal surpasses the £80m mark, Alessandro Bastoni would become the most expensive defender in football history. Harry Maguire currently holds that distinction after joining Manchester United from Leicester for £80m back in 2019.

Josko Gvardiol ranks second after his £77m move from RB Leipzig to Manchester City in 2023, while Virgil van Dijk’s £75m switch from Southampton to Liverpool in 2018 sits third on the list.

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Alessandro Bastoni could be on his way to Liverpool(Image: getty)

Whether he’s worth that sort of money is up for debate, but Bastoni’s quality is beyond question. A composed, left-footed defender, he combines physical strength with excellent ball-playing ability and precision passing.

Highly regarded in Serie A, Bastoni has been named in the league’s Team of the Year in three of the past five seasons. He played a key role in Inter’s title-winning campaigns in 2020/21 and 2023/24 and was instrumental in their runs to the Champions League final in both 2023 and 2025.

Liverpool are in urgent need of greater defensive stability after a shaky start to the new season. Arne Slot’s side have already conceded 17 goals in their first 11 league matches – a stark contrast to the six they had shipped at the same stage last year.



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Liverpool have looked shaky at the back this season and could use some defensive reinforcements

The Reds’ defensive frailties have been compounded by a turbulent summer in the transfer market, which saw Trent Alexander-Arnold leave and two new full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, come in.