Sports
Bayern Munich sign Liverpool’s Luis Díaz in €75m deal
Bayern Munich, on Wednesday, completed the signing of forward, Luis Diaz, from Premier League champions, Liverpool, for a reported fee that could rise to 75 million euros ($86.5 million).
The Colombian winger, who won the Premier League, FA Cup and two League Cups during his time at Anfield, has signed a contract with the Bundesliga champions until 2029.
The fee paid for Diaz is the third-highest in Bayern’s history.
“In Luis Diaz, we have succeeded in bringing in one of the best left-wingers in the Premier League,” said Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen.
“He brings real player character from Liverpool to FC Bayern — he’s won silverware with every one of his clubs to date.”
Diaz, 28, said he was “very happy” with the move to the German club.
“It means a lot to me to be part of FC Bayern,” he said. “They’re one of the biggest clubs in the world. I want to help my new team with my way of playing football and my character.
“My goal is to win every possible title, and that’s what we’ll work for every day as a team.”
Writing on social media, Diaz said he would “treasure forever” his time at Liverpool and was “leaving proud of everything we achieved together.”
Diaz made 50 appearances and scored 17 goals and laid on eight assists in all competitions last season as Arne Slot’s team clinched the English title for the 20th time.
The Colombian, who joined from Porto in January 2022, scored 13 of those 17 goals in the Premier League, finishing as Liverpool’s second-leading goalscorer behind Mohamed Salah.
Diaz was left out of Liverpool’s 4-2 friendly defeat against AC Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday as speculation mounted over his future.
Diaz’s signing gives Bayern a quality replacement for Germany forward Jamal Musiala, who has been ruled out for a “long period” after he suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle at the recent Club World Cup.
Having made his international debut in 2018, Diaz has scored 18 goals in 64 appearances for Colombia.
Bayern needed strengthening in the forward line after veteran Thomas Mueller left the club and Leroy Sane moved to Galatasaray.
Diaz’s transfer fee trails in club history only the 95 million euros Bayern paid for England icon Harry Kane in 2023 and the 80 million for French international Lucas Hernandez in 2019.
Diaz will train with his new teammates and coach Vincent Kompany for the first time in Munich on Wednesday.
The winger could take the field when Bayern face French side Lyon in a friendly in Munich on Saturday.
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Luis Diaz said former Liverpool teammate Florian Wirtz told him he would “enjoy” a move to Bayern Munich as the Colombian was unveiled by the Bundesliga champions on Thursday.
The German giants reportedly paid a fee which could rise to 75 million euros ($86.5 million) for the 28-year-old, whose deal runs until 2029.
Heavily linked with a move to Bayern, Wirtz left Bayer Leverkusen and signed with the Reds in June.
Diaz only had a few weeks with the German international at Liverpool but revealed Wirtz’s advice encouraged him to move to the Bundesliga.
“I spoke to Florian a few times and he told me that the Bundesliga is very intense, similar to the Premier League, that it was very physical, the stadiums are always full,” Diaz said Thursday.
“He said that I’d enjoy it. He wished me luck. I thank him for that”.
Diaz arrives as the third most expensive signing in Bayern’s history, but said he was unconcerned about the pressure the price tag would bring.
“I can’t say if I’m worth 70 million. I just want to settle in here as quickly as possible. That’s the most important thing,” he said.
The only two bigger transfer fees paid by Bayern were 95 million euros for England captain Harry Kane in 2023 and 80 million for French international Lucas Hernandez in 2019.
Diaz won the Premier League, FA Cup and two League Cups during his three-and-a-half years at Anfield.
The winger made 50 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool last season, scoring 17 goals and providing eight assists as Arne Slot’s team clinched the English league title for a record-equalling 20th time.
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FC Barcelona, on Thursday, produced a dominant attacking display to defeat FC Seoul 7–3 in an action-packed pre-season friendly.
The Spanish giants wasted no time asserting their superiority, with Robert Lewandowski opening the scoring in the 8th minute.
Rising star Lamine Yamal quickly followed up with goals in the 14th and 45+3 minutes, the latter coming just moments after Al-Arab had equalised for the hosts on the stroke of half-time.
Earlier, FC Seoul had found the net through Young-Wook in the 26th minute to briefly level the tie before Barcelona pulled away decisively.
Andreas Christensen added a fourth goal for the Catalan side in the 55th minute, setting the tone for a flurry of late strikes.
Ferran Torres and Gavi added goals in the 74th and 76th minutes respectively, before Torres sealed his brace with a second goal in the 88th minute.
FC Seoul’s Han-Min grabbed a consolation in the 85th minute, but it did little to take the shine off Barcelona’s commanding performance.
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Morocco said the manner of their switch of nationality is faulty, citing some irregularities in their claims to be Nigerians.
A petition against Nigeria has been filed by Morocco.
Morocco filed the petition before CAF as it questions the eligibility of two players who played for the women’s team of Nigeria in the final of the WAFCON, which Nigeria won 3-2 on Saturday.
It was gathered that before the game, there was a protest lodged by Morocco on the eligibility of two of the Nigerian players in Ashleigh Plumptre and Michelle Alozie.
Both players were born outside Nigeria but made the decision to play for Nigeria at senior level.
In their protest, Morocco said the manner of their switch of nationality is faulty citing some irregularities in their claims to be Nigerians.
They expressly want Nigeria to lose the title by virtue of fielding both players in the tournament.
Plumptre was granted approval by FIFA to play for Nigeria in 2021 after it was established that her paternal grandfather is a Nigerian. Alozie’s case is more straightforward as she was born in the USA to immigrant parents from Nigeria.
Nigeria are however not losing sleep over the protest with a top member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) terming it as dead on arrival.
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