Barcelona's stance on Luis Diaz emerges as Liverpool given transfer conundrum

Luis Diaz has just two years remaining on his Liverpool contract and the club could be tempted to cash in on the Colombian amid "genuine" interest from La Liga giants Barcelona

Barcelona reportedly have "genuine" interest in Liverpool forward Luis Diaz, with the Reds facing a transfer conundrum as they risk losing a host of their top forwards.

The Colombian has been superb for the Reds since his move from FC Porto in 2022, scoring 37 times in 139 appearances, though there are fears the club could lose him.

Diaz is said to be no closer to signing a new deal - with his current contract expiring in just over two years' time - and Barcelona are waiting in the wings to pounce, according to the Athletic.

Liverpool are already facing a difficult contract situation coming up this summer, knowing they are likely to lose Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk on free transfers, with negotiations at a stalemate as things stand.

The club will be desperate to avoid a similar situation creeping up on them in the future so they could be tempted to cash in on Diaz now before they risk losing him for nothing too.

Diaz will be in his 30s by the time his deal expires, so Liverpool could be willing to accept an offer, especially given that they have other forwards such as Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez at their disposal.

However, with Salah expected to depart on a free transfer and with transfer interest expected in Nunez, Slot could be dealt the dilemma or whether he cashes in on Diaz and Nunez - in addition to losing Salah.

Liverpool are 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League and look nailed on to win the title, but Slot will be reluctant to lose too much of his core group of players that help the team romp to immediate success under his leadership.

Diaz himself has had a fabulous season under the Dutchman, scoring 13 goals and assisting four in all competitions.

It is claimed Liverpool have "a number of options" lined up in the event they do lose a couple of forwards in the summer, with Newcastle's Anthony Gordon linked with a move in the past.

However, the former Everton star only just signed a new deal St James' Park in October, so any move for the 24-year-old looks unlikely.

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