Liverpool
Premier League • England
Paper Talk: Liverpool strike to snatch thrilling forward from Tottenham grasp; Man Utd deal given triple boost
Liverpool have beaten Tottenham to the punch after forging an agreement to sign Luis Diaz, while a Man Utd move has been given a triple jolt – all in Friday’s Paper Talk.
TOTTENHAM LET LUIS DIAZ DEAL SLIP?
An assortment of reports have shed light on the future of in-demand FC Porto winger Luis Diaz, with one suggesting Liverpool have won the race at Tottenham’s expense.
The Colombian, 25, has developed into a must-see forward in Portugal. Diaz has bagged 16 goals and six assists in the current campaign. That comes after joint-top scoring with Lionel Messi at last year’s Copa America.
Diaz operates primarily from the left side and had been earmarked for transfer by both Liverpool and Spurs.
Yesterday’s Euro Paper Talk relayed the latest from Tottenham’s perspective.
Daniel Levy was reportedly prepared to raise the stakes from their initial £37m plus £9m in add-ons offer. A Diaz deal has assumed greater significance following Barcelona’s hijacking of Adama Traore’s switch.
Now, the Sun state Tottenham have seen an improved £40m plus £8m in add-ons bid ‘accepted’, though the story does not end there.
Luis Diaz will ‘be a Liverpool player’
Diaz’s two representatives are stated to be refusing to sign off on the deal due to concerns over the involvement of super agent Jorge Mendes. In the article’s words, ‘without their approval, the switch cannot be completed’.
That has seemingly left the door ajar for Liverpool, and Portuguese outlet O Jogo claim they have pounced.
They report Liverpool have lodged a similar offer of €45m (£37.4m) plus €15m (£12.5m) in add-ons. Per the report, that has ‘got the better of Tottenham’ and Diaz will now ‘be a Liverpool player’.
Porto reject Tottenham bid for Luis Diaz
Luis Diaz is wanted by Tottenham but Porto has turned away a bid from Spurs
The outlet adds that Diaz’s preference to join the Reds rather than Spurs has proved pivotal. Diaz is ambitious and preferred to join a club in the Champions League and who regularly compete for top honours.
After that was relayed to Liverpool, they reportedly presented their proposal to Porto, and the Portuguese outfit have seemingly accepted.
If their information is accurate, Liverpool may have to wait six months before seeing Luis Diaz up close and personal. The outlet conclude it is possible that despite an agreement being reached, Diaz may not move to Merseyside until the summer.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano added his take to the story on Friday morning. The Italian confirmed Liverpool are in pole position to land Diaz and the Colombian is ‘top of their scouting list’, though stated an offer is incoming, rather than already made.
Romano wrote Liverpool will ‘submit an official bid in the coming hours’. Their offer will reportedly be worth €40m plus a further €20m in easily achievable bonuses, and a further €5m in difficult to achieve add-ons.
The journalist concluded Diaz’s potential salary is now being discussed.
THREE RAYS OF HOPE FOR JESSE LINGARD
Jesse Lingard could leave Man Utd this month despite his move to Newcastle collapsing. Leicester, Everton and Aston Villa are all mulling late proposals. (Manchester Evening News)
Wolves are adamant they will not sell Ruben Neves in the summer. The Portuguese international is valued at £40m and is a target for Man Utd and Arsenal. (The Sun)
Crystal Palace want to make Jean-Philippe Mateta’s loan move a permanent one. The Mainz forward has impressed Eagles boss Patrick Vieira. (The Sun)
Tottenham could bolster their goalkeeping ranks after registering their interest in Bayern Munich’s Alexander Nubel, The 25-year-old is currently on loan at Monaco. (Goal)
Southampton want Chelsea prospect Tino Anjorin to join fellow Blue Armando Broja at St. Mary’s. The Saints also want to turn Broja’s loan move permanent, though that won’t happen until the summer. (The Sun)
ARSENAL STRIKER HUNT FACING NEW COMPLICATION
Juventus have agreed to sign Fiorentina’s 21-year-old Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic for £62.4m. The Serbian had been linked with Arsenal throughout January. (Daily Mail, via Guardian)
As such, Arsenal have turned striker hunt attentions to Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin. However Borussia Dortmund are a rival in the race, and are preparing for Erling Haaland’s potential exit this summer. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United are “petrified” of letting Jesse Lingard leave and him proving a success elsewhere. That’s after his proposed loan move to Newcastle effectively collapsed over United’s insistence on a £12million survival payment if he helps the Toon stay up. (Daily Mirror)
Newcastle are on the verge of signing Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon for £30m. (talkSPORT)
Real Madrid have muscled in on Chelsea and Man City’s transfer plans. Los Blancos have stepped up their efforts to sign Monaco star Aurelien Tchouameni and teenage sensation Endrick – who are both targets for the English pair (Daily Mirror)
Adama Traore is finalising a loan move to Barcelona after his switch to Tottenham stalled. (Daily Mail)
WEST HAM PLOTTING LATE CHELSEA RAID
West Ham’s top two targets for the January transfer window are 20-year-old Albania striker Armando Broja, who is on loan at Southampton from Chelsea, and 22-year-old Chile forward Ben Brereton Diaz, who plays for Blackburn Rovers. (Football Insider)
Aston Villa have rejected a £30m offer for Douglas Luiz from within the Premier League. The identity of the bidding club is not known, and it is not rumoured to be Arsenal, despite being known admirers. (Evening Standard)
Granit Xhaka is once again a target for Roma boss Jose Mourinho. The divisive Arsenal midfielder came close to joining Roma over the summer. (Daily Mirror)
Newcastle’s hopes of landing Diego Carlos from Sevilla are all but over. That’s according to Sevilla chief Monchi, who reckons they’ve seen off Newcastle’s last bid. (Daily Mail)
Anthony Martial is yet to activate two clauses in his contract at Manchester United, including the infamous Ballon d’Or bonus. (Daily Mail)
AND THE REST FROM PAPER TALK
Steven Gerrard’s influence prove decisive after Newcastle failed to prise Ashley Young from Villa Park. (Daily Mirror)
West Brom boss Valerien Ismael is coming under the microscope at the Hawthorns. Poor results and dissatisfied players have put his position under increasing pressure. (Daily Mail)
Arsenal’s move for Juventus midfielder Arthur could collapse after they refused to sanction an 18 month loan. (Daily Mail)
Kieran Trippier has revealed that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy ‘annoyed’ him by offering him to other clubs a few months before his eventual exit – and hit out at the club for selling Mousa Dembele in 2019. (Daily Mail)
Tottenham Hotspur are finally close to agreeing a deal to move on Tanguy Ndombele. Their flop record signing is set to go to PSG on loan for the rest of the season with an option to buy. (Daily Telegraph)