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Liverpool stunned as massive transfer collapses: Arne Slot delighted as plans change
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 18 Jun 2025 06:10 CDT
- 4 min read
News
Liverpool manager Arne Slot could be forced to reassess his plans for the forthcoming season having learned that a possible transfer is on the verge of collapsing.
The Reds boss has experienced an excellent start to the transfer window thanks to the club signing Jeremie Frimpong, yet deals for Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz have not yet been concluded.
But it is the possibility of a major sale that has fallen through in this case, with Luis Diaz no longer set to leave for Barcelona.
Compared
Luis Díaz
F (CL), M (L)
Liverpool
Luis Díaz
F (CL), M (L)
Liverpool
VS
Nico Williams
M (L)
Athletic
Nico Williams
M (L)
Athletic
|
|
ETV |
|
| €63.9M - €78.1M | ETV Range | €63.5M - €77.7M |
| 28 years old (13 Jan, 1997) | Age | 22 years old (12 Jul, 2002) |
|
Colombia
|
Nationality |
Spain
|
Mundo Deportivo indicates that Barca have now put Spain international Nico Williams at the top of their transfer shortlist, with the Colombia winger bumped down the pecking order.
A deal in the region of €80 million had been forecast to take place for the Liverpool winger, potentially giving the Anfield club an influx of funds. Luis Diaz has hinted at a desire to play for Barcelona in the past, with his father notably saying it is a “dream” of the former Porto player.
For their part, Barcelona had hoped pressure from the player, via his agent, might drive Liverpool's asking price down towards €60m. This has not happened and in a major and unexpected twist, a deal for Nico Williams is now the preferred option at Camp Nou.
This will be music to the ears of Arne Slot, who made it clear that he did not want to have to find a replacement for his 28-year-old star.
Speaking to the media in May, the Dutchman responded to claims from Barcelona sporting director Deco that the Catalans were interested in a deal for Luis Diaz, he said: “I don’t talk about players from other clubs. I understand he is a big admirer of Lucho Díaz. I am a big admirer of him as well. He is a great player and had a great season.”
Romano on Kerkez and Wirtz
As for potential signings, Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the state of play in the moves for Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz.
“Milos Kerkez will be a Liverpool player, no doubt. He will play for Liverpool. There are some technical things to resolve, but this is not a big issue and it’s not a problem. He’s not considering any other proposals,” Romano said.
“Richard Hughes, the Liverpool sporting director, was at Bournemouth and signed him from AZ, so for sure they want to go for the player and will sign him. No doubt about that or Wirtz.”
So everything is still going according to play at Anfield, with the latest news on Luis Diaz’s situation a further boost to the Premier League champions.
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