Is Luíz Díaz staying in Liverpool this season? Arne Slot has already decided

Another chapter of the summer transfer window closes as Liverpool prepare for their opening Premier League game against recently promoted Ipswich Town this Saturday, 17 August.

The Merseyside team has not yet confirmed a new signing, and their only tangible intention during the summer was the failed negotiation with the Real Sociedad player Martín Zubimendi, who ended up rejecting playing under Arne Slot’s orders this season. With a squad (almost) identical to last season’s, only considering the departures from Matip, Adrián, and Thiago, Liverpool will face a tough Premier League campaign where Manchester City remain firm favourites to retain the title.

With the additional Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup games, rotation will be essential for the team’s physical fitness, and Slot knows that he needs a good squad depth if the club wants to stay competitive; in other words, the Dutch coach does not want players to leave the club, and this applies to Colombian attacker Luis Díaz. Despite rumors about Díaz’s departure, the fog has been dispelled after Slot’s words: Díaz will still be a Liverpool player, at least for now.

What did Arne Slot say about Luis Díaz?

The 27-year-old winger arrived at the club during the 2021/22 winter transfer window in exchange for a $64 million (£50 million) transfer free from Portuguese club Oporto. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp saw in the Colombian player the potential to sharpen the possibilities in the attack.

Díaz quickly became recurrent in the team’s starting XI, playing 51 games and 2,646 minutes with the Reds last season, only placing behind Liverpool’s captain Virgil Van Dijk, who, despite playing fewer games (48) had more minutes (3,177). After the Copa America final, where Colombia lost in the extra times against Argentina, Díaz’s uncertain future with Liverpool was in the headlines. PSG, Barcelona, and even rivals Manchester City were interested in signing the Colombian striker. Still, Arne Slot’s words during the press conference have finally ended (for now) one of the stories of this transfer window.

“There is a lot of speculation constantly in this country; that is clear to me. So it’s not a surprise for me if I hear you saying that it is also for Luis Diaz. His future is with us because I like a lot what I’ve seen in the last 10 days that he’s been in” said the team’s head coach. As expected, Slot also addressed that expectations are high after Díaz’s last season: “I saw the same last season. He’s had a big impact on Liverpool’s seasons and I’m hoping he has a big impact in the upcoming season as well.”

Although Liverpool’s starting Xi hasn’t been confirmed, the Colombian will likely have his opportunity in the starting line-up after his good performance during the friendly game against Sevilla.