Irrespective of who takes up the head coach position at the club after Xavi’s departure, it is clear that FC Barcelona will need to go to the market this summer to address some of the key weaknesses in their squad.
One of the areas that the Catalans are looking to strengthen is that of the midfield pivot, but after that, the Blaugranes will also be looking to get a winger, with Dani Olmo and Nico Williams both being strongly linked with the club in the last few weeks for this purpose.
However, according to Diario AS, Deco’s favourite to reinforce this key position for Barcelona is neither of these players, but the Liverpool winger Luis Diaz. The Barcelona Sporting Director has been following the Colombian winger’s development since his Porto days.
While he has recorded good numbers during his Liverpool career, 24 goals, and 13 assists, the departure of Jurgen Klopp and the arrival of Arne Slot can change a lot of things at the Merseyside club.
Laporta has already publicly declared his admiration for the Colombian winger in the past, and in the last few days, he has emerged as one of the most desired targets for Barcelona.
Furthermore, there have been some reports of a meeting between Deco and the winger’s representatives this past March, as the Barcelona Sporting Director is looking to instill players with a more winning character in his team.
This is especially the case as Deco believes the team is lacking such players, which is clear from the way it folds whenever it faces some adversity.
But getting the Liverpool winger will not be easy in any way for the Catalans. Firstly, they will have to convince Liverpool to part with him, and even if they are successful in this first endeavor, they will have to undertake a difficult negotiation with the English club to get a player who is currently valued at €75 million.
Furthermore, the Catalans will also have to return to the 1:1 rule before being able to undertake a signing of this magnitude.
However, one player who can be sacrificed to overcome these obstacles is Raphinha, who is currently valued at €50 million. While the Brazilian has a similar record as the Colombian, Deco wants the latter because of his ability to finish, as he also wants the team to have more reliable scorers than just Robert Lewandowski.
Meanwhile, one factor that will aid Barcelona’s pursuit of Diaz is that the winger is a lifelong Barcelona fan. Still, the Catalans will have to do a lot of work to be able to sign him, but getting him will definitely improve their attacking quality.
