Luis Diaz: Liverpool Sign Porto Winger On Five-And-A-Half-Year Deal For Initial Fee Of £37m – Sky Sports

Liverpool have signed winger Luis Diaz from Porto for an initial fee of £37m.

The 25-year-old has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League side and will wear the number 23 shirt.

The fee for Diaz could rise to as much as £49m if potential add-ons are triggered during his time at Anfield.

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The Colombia international was a top target for manager Jurgen Klopp in the summer, but interest from Tottenham this month accelerated their plans.

Spurs wanted to sign Diaz during the current window and were willing to pay up to £46m, but the winger preferred a move to Liverpool.

Diaz underwent a medical in Argentina as he is on international duty with Colombia for their World Cup qualifiers.

He played in both of Porto’s matches against Liverpool in the Champions League this season, but was unable to help them avoid a 5-1 home defeat in September or a 2-0 loss at Anfield in November.

The deal represents a big coup for Julian Ward, who is set to succeed Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards in the summer, as he took the reins in negotiations.

Diaz requires a work permit to enter the UK, meaning he is unlikely to arrive in Liverpool until the end of next week at the earliest.

Liverpool’s next match is at home to Cardiff in the FA Cup on Sunday, February 6.

Analysis: Liverpool rebuilding their attack

Sky Sports’ Adam Bate:

While Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are away at the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool have acted to future-proof their forward line. Roberto Firmino turned 30 in October, while Mane and Salah will both do so later this year. The trio are legendary figures at the club but the balance of the attack needs to shift.

The arrival of Diogo Jota, 25, helped to freshen things up, taking minutes from Firmino this season. Luis Diaz could mean the same for Mane as he too operates in that left channel. The Senegal international scored against Chelsea recently but had gone nine games without a goal before that.

Liverpool faced a big challenge in transitioning away from the team that delivered the Champions League trophy and the Premier League title. Diaz can help. He is coming into his peak years and appears an astute signing, a player with an appetite to prove himself in the Premier League.

If the signing proves successful, and the transition seamless, Liverpool will believe they are building that new forward line for the future. Perhaps Jurgen Klopp’s next great team is being constructed.

‘Diaz will fit in perfectly at Liverpool’

Portuguese football expert Filipe Dias on Transfer Talk:

“Luis Diaz, the best player in the Portuguese league, is going to be joining Liverpool.

“He is the kind of player Klopp likes. Technically he is very gifted – he is bound for greater things than the Portuguese league.

“Diaz is the best Colombian player at the moment, the best player in Portugal at the moment. He can do anything up front despite not being a centre forward.

“He really has something special about him. There is no doubt in my mind that, if things go normally, he will fit in perfectly at Liverpool.”

What will Diaz bring to Liverpool?

A quick glance at his headline stats in the Portuguese Primeira Liga this season suggests the 25-year-old provides a serious goal threat – but also offers so much more.

The winger ranks top for goals, shots and touches in the opposition box and is among the elite for winning back possession in the final third, creating chances, attempting fast breaks, aerials, dribbling and passes in the attacking third.

The maps below narrow down his goal threat to Champions League appearances over the past two seasons and reveal Diaz is most potent from his favoured left channel, frequently carving chances for team-mates with diagonals into the box.

Besides scoring goals, his most striking attribute is participation in overall play, with above-average numbers for passes in the final third – but the graphic below suggests Diaz also frequently tracks back to support the team.

When visualising his goal and passing averages, Diaz emerges among an elite crop of players in Europe’s top leagues, with returns on par with Karim Benzema and Mohamed Salah.

His heat map below emphasises his work-rate with concentrations of activity in his defensive half, while his ability to reclaim possession high up the pitch would certainly suit a high-press style.

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