Liverpool star who Arne Slot 'likes a lot' wants 'new contract with pay-rise' after two £72m bids rejected
A number of Liverpool players are out of contract in 2027 - and one wants a new deal at Anfield
Liverpool forward Luis Diaz reportedly wants a new contract with a pay-rise amid interest in his services from the Saudi Pro League.
French journalist Sebastien Vidal, who is the assistant chief editor at magazine Weekend Sports, reported last week that Saudi clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr both submitted bids worth €85m (£72m) for the Colombian but the two bids were knocked back by the Reds.
Diaz is out of contract at Anfield in the summer of 2027 and has also been the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Reds are not actively looking to sell the former FC Porto star, with Darwin Nunez expected to leave the club while Diogo Jota’s future is more uncertain.
Liverpool are aiming to bolster their defence this summer while they are working on a deal to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. That transfer, if completed, will take up a large chunk of their summer budget. It means Slot would be unwilling to lose too many players.
Luis Diaz wants a new contract
Speaking on talkSPORT on Monday morning, the radio station’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook said Diaz wants a new deal and that the interest from the Saudi Pro League is genuine.
In a discussion on talkSPORT breakfast, Crook said: "Diaz is an interesting one because Liverpool are not actively looking to sell him. He wants a new contract, he wants a payrise.
"I wonder if this interest from Saudi Arabia, that is genuine - he is wanted by the Saudi Pro League - and I wonder if that interest could help with him getting a new deal."
Diaz played a key role in Liverpool’s Premier League title success with 13 goals and seven assists in 36 appearances. In all competitions, he contributed 17 goals and eight assists. He has played 148 times for the Reds since joining in January 2022.
The most recent campaign was far and away his most prolific. In total he has 41 goals and 23 assists in 148 Liverpool appearances.
Luis Diaz has already expressed his happiness at Liverpool
In an interview with the club website, Diaz expressed how happy he was at the club - offering a possible hint that he is in no rush to leave.
He said: “I feel I’m going through a really good period. I’m really happy to be here, to be part of this great institution, this great club and to have great teammates around me.
“From the moment I arrived, I felt great pride. I always tried to work hard for this, and to see that nowadays things are working out for me fills me with pride and I’m really happy because that’s what I work for.
“[But] we are nobodies without our teammates. We are a team. The forwards and wingers always try to help with goals and assists, and right now I’ve achieved good numbers to back that up.
“It’s about playing and then playing well, supporting the team in the way I play and enjoying it, like always.”