Barcelona are not concerned by Liverpool’s refusal to negotiate over winger Luis Díaz, with a report in Spain revealing they are prepared to wait until late in the transfer window to boost their chances of an agreement.
The La Liga champions have not hidden their interest in signing Díaz and it was reported earlier this week that they had approached Liverpool over a summer transfer, only to be met with a firm rejection. The Reds are not interested in selling for anything other than an enormous fee.
Just a few hours later, Díaz sat in front of the media and confessed his agent has held talks with clubs across the globe, confirming he is looking for “what is best” for him. He did, however, stress his happiness to remain with Liverpool.
MARCA state that Barcelona do not necessarily believe Liverpool’s stance and instead see it is a negotiating tactic as part of their bid to extract a larger fee from either Barcelona or fellow suitors Al Nassr.
Instead, they remain keen to sign Díaz and recognise that they could now be in for a lengthy period of negotiations to try and land a player who has been described as a priority target for Barcelona.
Club officials have not given up hope but do have a long list of potential alternatives if they find themselves unable to convince Liverpool to sell. Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is high on the wish list and is thought to be keen to make the move.
A recent report named Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli as a possible target if Barcelona miss out on both Díaz and Rashford.
Those targets will remain in the background while Barcelona continue to work on Díaz. The Catalan giants hope his refusal to extend his contract, which expires in 2027, will ultimately force Liverpool to entertain bids late in the transfer window.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luis Diaz: Barcelona ‘Unfazed’ by Liverpool Rejection, Revise Plan to Complete Signing.