Arne Slot will have already created a grandiose plan to start his Liverpool tenure without a hitch, taking the high-class squad that Jurgen Klopp created and cemented and placing his stamp on it.
Liverpool, there is no doubt, is entering the unknown, preparing to charge toward the goals of a campaign with a first-team squad led by a new figure. Frissons of excitement are flying but so too is there a measure of trepidation that Klopp's Herculean efforts will fade into the poignant memory of better times.
But FSG have installed a new structure, enticed Michael Edwards back to the fold in a bigger, all-seeing role as their CEO of Football, and while several pressing concerns require attention – namely, the 12-month contract quandaries of Virgil van Dijk (captain), Trent Alexander-Arnold (vice-captain) and Mohamed Salah (attacking talisman).
Keeping hold of such players, it should be clear, is paramount for the fluency and success of Slot's early-stage Liverpool tenure, not least because they are three of the most influential and experienced members of the crop. But not all of the Reds' most profitable players are untouchable.
Indeed, Darwin Nunez is among those to have been linked with a move away in recent weeks, and while flawed he may be, the Uruguayan has a lofty ceiling. However, one of his closest peers must be quite ruthlessly sold.
Liverpool considering big summer sale
Spanish reports have persisted quite frequently in recent weeks that Barcelona are pushing for the signing of Luis Diaz, who had been one of Klopp's most important players last season, starting every one of Liverpool's Premier League fixtures in 2024.
Recently, as per Diario AS, Liverpool have responded to La Blaugrana's advancements by slapping a €75m (£63m) price tag on the Colombia star, something that might prove a stumbling block for the La Liga outfit, racked with financial worry.
Diaz is unquestionably Liverpool's star left winger, and while he has much to offer for Slot and his soon-to-be-instilled system on Merseyside, it may well be worth cashing in and reinvesting.
Why Luis Diaz should be sold
Indefatigable. Unceasing. Relentless. Robust. Pick your athletic-based superlative; Diaz is certain to fall somewhere within the broad parameters of such praise.
But this alone is not enough to keep Diaz at the club, with his wastefulness and poor return failing Liverpool on several important occasions. A return of 13 goals and five assists over 51 matches in all competitions is certainly not shoddy but nor is it particularly eye-catching.
Anfield welcomed Diaz from Portuguese side FC Porto in a £37m transfer back in January 2022, tasked with replacing the iconic Sadio Mane, who still plied his trade at Liverpool at the time of Diaz's arrival but was heading toward his contract expiry at the end of the campaign.
Diaz is contracted until 2027 and this is largely why FSG and Edwards believe that he could fetch a pretty penny. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 12% for shot-creating actions and the top 7% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.
Fleet-footed and fearsome in his electric-charged runs up and down the flank, Diaz has been hailed as a "livewire" by journalist Peter Hall for this very reason.
However, he's not the cream of the crop at Anfield and, one would think, collecting a fee in the £60m ballpark would give Liverpool ample ammunition to redirect toward a fresh face.
23/24
51
13
5
0.35
22/23
21
5
2
0.33
21/22
26
6
5
0.42
Compare that to Mane's final three-year average, and it becomes patent that the Colombian has failed to emulate his predecessor regarding prolificness, which admittedly does not exactly mean he has failed, such was Mane's quality.
21/22
51
23
4
0.53
20/21
48
16
8
0.50
19/20
47
22
10
0.68
But £63m is a lot of money; it would mark the third-highest sale in Anfield's history, behind only Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez.
Liverpool simply have to consider selling Diaz and turning their gaze to summer transfer targets with the added gleam of recouped funds.
1.
Philippe Coutinho
£142m
2.
Luis Suarez
£75m
3.
Fernando Torres
£50m
4.
Raheem Sterling
£49m
5.
Fabinho
£40m
Who knows, it might even prove to be a masterstroke for Slot, his very own Coutinho moment.
Diaz sale could be Coutinho 2.0
When Liverpool sold Coutinho to Barcelona in January 2018 for a staggering fee of £142m, supporters mourned the loss of a truly special star who, it felt, could not be replaced.
Liverpool had clicked into gear under Klopp and were scoring goals for fun, but the money collected was thrown back out into the market over the coming months, with the £75m deal to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and the £67m signing of Alisson Becker from AS Roma revolutionising the squad and transcending the ambitions of regular top-four finishes and trophy runs.
Instead, Liverpool conquered it all. In 2018/19, Tottenham Hotspur were vanquished in the Champions League final, one year later, Liverpool toppled Manchester City to win their maiden Premier League title in its modern format.
Barcelona might have overpaid quite considerably but Liverpool certainly aren’t complaining, albeit waiting for several interminable years for payment packages from the financially-stricken club, who funded the venture via an intermediary.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are still in pursuit of Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville, having scouted him for months. The 22-year-old would continue the Dutch theme at Anfield and would arrive with plenty of promise after being crowned the Championship MVP, posting 21 goals and ten assists in all competitions.
The knock-on, long-term effect of such a deal, with plenty of money still to burn after Diaz's sale, could be truly remarkable for a Liverpool team in transition.
In hindsight, Liverpool selling Coutinho proved to be a watershed moment that opened the flood of success, eternalising Klopp and his reign on Merseyside.
Diaz would not be sold for quite the same dizzying sum but there's little question that it could have something of a similar effect, especially if Slot was to target a player like Summerville.
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