Report: Liverpool face extra £25m charge January AFCON transfer

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Liverpool reportedly face paying an extra £25m in order to secure their preferred January transfer. Luis Diaz isn’t coming cheap.

This comes from Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra. He claims Liverpool are looking to complete a transfer for Luis Diaz as soon as possible.

That, of course, would be January. It’s a deal that makes sense, too, given both Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah will disappear to AFCON next month. Diaz, as one of Europe’s in-form wingers this season, would be quality cover for Liverpool

But that comes at a premium. As Sierra points out, Porto don’t wish to sell Diaz in January and would demand his full £67m release clause from Liverpool. In the summer, however, they’d drop that price by £25m.

The question, then, is whether that cover is worth £25m.

Will Liverpool complete Luis Diaz transfer in January?

The fact is, Liverpool wouldn’t need a new forward if not for AFCON. Their current options – Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino – are extraordinary and the best selection of anyone in England. Maybe even the world, quite honestly.

And so spending £67m in January wouldn’t actually bring much improvement over the rest of the season. It’s also not entirely clear how many games Salah & Mane will miss, nor how intensive they’ll be.

Both will feature against Chelsea, for instance, which is one of the few games where Liverpool need their best XI in order to compete.

We’re not sure there’s £25m of value in signing Diaz early, then. His form this season has been wonderful and he’d be a good signing for Liverpool, but saving £25m to bring him in next summer makes sense.

We’d hardly complain if Liverpool thought differently but there certainly shouldn’t be any expectation here. Really, it doesn’t appear we’ll see any major January transfer.