David Ornstein has admitted to being surprised that one player at Liverpool hasn’t penned a new contract in recent months.
There’s been plenty of focus on whether Mo Salah will sign an extension at Anfield, with his current deal expiring next summer, but the journalist has shone the spotlight on another forward in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
Speaking on The Athletic FC podcast, he outlined: “I’ve already heard from multiple contacts they’re [Liverpool] looking for a wide player. I don’t know if that’s to add to what they’ve already got.
“Is it because there’s been speculation around the future of Luis Diaz, who’s yet to sign a new contract, which is quite unusual for a player who’s done so well. He’s been linked with moves elsewhere; let’s wait and see on that.”
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It’s approaching two-and-a-half years since Diaz joined from Porto, and the Colombian still has three years remaining on his contract at Liverpool, so his future certainly isn’t as pressing as several of his teammates whose deals expire much sooner.
However, according to Capology, the 27-year-old is being paid £55,000 per week, less than half of the other four senior attackers at Anfield. Even third-choice goalkeeper Adrian, who hasn’t played once all season, is on a higher salary.
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The probable departures of Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara will slice £300,000 off the weekly wage bill, so that should provide scope for the Reds’ number 7 to have his own pay increased.
As Ornstein says, the performances that Diaz has put in at Liverpool – his form was one of the few pluses of a dismal April for the club – merit greater financial recognition, especially in comparison to what some of his teammates are taking home.
Ongoing rumours about interest from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain also muddy the waters surrounding his future; and while LFC are entering a state of flux with the managerial changeover, it could be in the best interests of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes to consider improved terms for the dynamic Colombian sooner rather than later.