REINFORCEMENT : Anthony Gordon deal, £75m exit, Cody Gakpo role – Luis Diaz Liverpool future decided

Liverpool transfer news as Echo writers debate the future of Luis Diaz with uncertainty around the Colombian winger

Two and a half years on from his exciting arrival and Luis Diaz’s Liverpool career is yet to spark. After coming in as the heir in waiting for Sadio Mane on the left, he has only left more questions than answers since.

Despite starting 32 Premier League games last season under Jurgen Klopp the Colombian left much to be desired. Six of his eight goals came in the last 35 games and there was just one assist in the final six weeks of the campaign.

Diaz stopped finishing matches as the title charge fell off in the last period of the season. Although he remained a regular in the side there are new talks of just what his future holds.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are not really keen to sell Diaz anyway. Wingers under Arne Slot will have a key role to play as he plans to put his style across. There is certainly a battle in the frontline though with Cody Gakpo impressing at the Euros this summer, Mohamed Salah still having a backdrop of uncertainty, and Darwin Nunez a rogue element in it all.

Harvey Elliott and Diogo Jota will also have plenty to say as they look to compete for a regular spot in the attack. Possible forward additions have been tipped as well with Takefusa Kubo the latest.

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Here, Echo Sport looks at what may well be on the cards for Diaz before the end of August

Diaz looked so perfect when Liverpool signed him. A pacey, electric, dribbling winger who was tailor-made to replace Mane and maintain the fearsome attacking trio at Anfield. With time to bed in and some of the best to learn from ahead of him, what could go wrong?

Injury issues have been notable but Diaz just doesn’t have the same impact on opponents as many imagined he would. At 27 there is still time for him to become a massive threat and find the levels of a £75million player, but it needs to happen fast because Gakpo right now is primed to start ahead of him next season.

If that’s going to be the case then exploring a sale wouldn’t be the worst thing because there are plenty of alternatives out there, and Slot may well want to implement his own style onto new players anyway. It would be a big call though and sticking with Diaz for another year at least is sensible. Give him a battle and something to fight for. It may well get the best out of him.

When I watched Luis Diaz in the flesh for Liverpool against Leicester in February 2022, I thought he had the potential to cement his place in the starting XI for years to come. He was that good.

A electrifying dribbler, it felt as though Diaz gave Liverpool something they had been missing in wide areas, especially with Sadio Mane leaving that summer to join Bayern Munich. Although Diaz has been unfortunate with injuries, he hasn’t quite kicked on to the heights that many felt he might have done, after a promising start to his Liverpool career. There has since been talk about whether Diaz could, in fact, now be sold.

It does seem wild to me, but Liverpool could sell to spend money elsewhere or on a different winger. I would personally keep Diaz at the club, however, as he does bring something different and is still useful when he is on the pitch, having scored 13 goals and added five assists in 51 matches last season