Liverpool reject Bayern Munich bid for Luis Diaz, winger makes clear he wants to leave

Bayern Munich have submitted a formal proposal to sign winger Luis Diaz from Liverpool.The 28-year-old Colombia international has emerged as a top target for Bayern and their first official proposal arrived on Tuesday.It was worth €67.5million (£58.6m; $78.8m) and immediately rejected by the Premier League champions.Liverpool value Diaz at upwards of €100m, although that is said to be for accounting purposes rather than a sales position because their stance so far has been that he is going nowhere.The former Porto attacker is into the final 24 months of his contract at Anfield. To date, there has been no sign of an extension — and Diaz has made clear to the club he wants to leave.That said, he is viewed by Liverpool as an important part of their plans for next season and beyond — which has been made clear to Bayern, Barcelona and other interested parties.Diaz joined Liverpool from Porto in January 2022 for an initial fee of £37.5m, with the deal potentially rising to £50m with add-ons.He has made 148 appearances for the club, scoring 41 goals and providing 23 assists in all competitions.Diaz played a key role under Arne Slot during Liverpool’s 2024-25 Premier League title-winning campaign, scoring 13 top-flight goals in 36 appearances.‘This offer easy to dismiss – £80m would be harder to ignore’Analysis from Liverpool correspondent James PearceLiverpool are right to turn down an offer for Diaz. The Colombian attacker’s value to Slot’s side is considerably greater.Diaz enjoyed the most prolific season of his Anfield career in 2024-25 as he contributed 17 goals in all competitions.Speculation about his future has intensified in recent months, with approaches from both Bayern and Barcelona rebuffed.Liverpool’s stance has remained the same throughout: he is simply not for sale. They have also been clear that they do not feel under any pressure to extend his current contract, which runs until the summer of 2027.With Liverpool in the market for a new No 9, they could certainly do without the added complication of having to recruit a left-sided attacker to replace Diaz.However, given he is 28, there is likely to be a figure which would reluctantly bring sporting director Richard Hughes to the negotiating table.It would need to be a handsome profit on the £50m Liverpool paid Porto for Diaz in January 2022. This offer was easy to dismiss — £80m would be much harder to ignore.(Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)David Ornstein joined The Athletic in October 2019 after 12 years as a sports journalist and correspondent at the BBC. In the role of Football Correspondent, he is responsible for producing exclusive and original stories and interviews, offering unique insight and analysis. He works across video, audio and the written word. Follow David on Twitter @David_Ornstein