Yes, there are many Barcelona fans who are against this transfer, and there is no denying in the fact that their reasoning is highly justified. With Barcelona’s financials still being in rough stages this signing could actually be a turning point for them. We witnessed a difficult period this season following the contract situation of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor. I think this Luis Diaz signing could also see some similar stages. But let’s just start with the rumors around this transfer target.
Diaz is a left-winger who has an explosive nature on the left flank. He is known for his blistering pace, technical finesse, and fearless attacking style. He is a natural winger who thrives to take on defenders by cutting inside and deliver defense breaking crosses. Diaz has played in Liverpool and their main non possession gameplay is similar to Barcelona, the gegenpressing. So Flick can further utilize his pressing ability and could benefit out of it. Diaz brings a flair, intensity, and ending product which Barcelona need right now.
Here is a reddit post on why Barcelona should sign Diaz:
Raphinha Replacement?
Many Barcelona fans are in a dilemma about whether Diaz will join us, whether he is going to replace Raphinha, or how Raphinha’s game minutes will be sacrificed. But that’s not the case here because many people confuse Raphina’s role under Hansi Flick. This Reddit post clearly emphasizes Raphinha’s style under Flick. Raphinha is a natural winger who plays on the right-hand side of the field due to being left-footed (most wingers prefer the opposite position to their strong foot), but due to Lamine’s progress and ability, he deserves the role more. At the start of the season, there were concerns about Raphinha at the club, and many thought either Flick would let him depart or play him as a second option.
Moreover Flick saw his potential as a second-striker behind Lewandowski and transformed him into a beast. In the above-mentioned post, there is a clear mention of Barcelona’s left attacking side being weak due to Raphinha’s role being more central. When Balde makes those overlapping runs, the defense gets sacrificed, and opposition counterattacks become inevitable. This ultimately burdens our right side of the pitch, where Lamine has to take care alone. Lamine has Kounde with him on the right flank, who occasionally takes part in the attack, so Lamine’s work rate gets affected more than needed.
Fatigue Replacement
In modern football, fatigue plays a huge role. We saw Barcelona dealing with fatigue in mid-November, which led to points being dropped in La Liga. As seasons progress, the workload on football players has significantly increased and leads to injuries, with more Champions League games, International Breaks, and the Club World Cup. Another reason for signing this profile is squad depth. Barcelona are weak if we look at the bench, especially in crucial games. The majority of Barcelona’s bench is filled with youngsters who have never dealt with high-pressure games, so a substitution during injury or fatigue doesn’t help much.
The main issue with transfer is the asking price for the player. According to the confirmed rumors, the asking price for Diaz Liverpool is 80 million dollars. Not only do I, but many others also believe this price tag isn’t justified. For a player of Diaz’s quality and form, the price that makes sense is nothing more than 30-40 million dollars. With already losing his hands from Nico Williams, let’s hope Barcelona get some proper signings this summer within budgets. Hopefully, there won’t be any more problems in the signing front.