Liverpool waved goodbye to Luis Diaz on Wednesday, as the Colombian joined Bayern Munich.
Diaz’s move had been a long time in the making, with Bayern finally meeting the Reds’ £65.5m asking price.
It is that rare beast in the world of transfers: a move that works for everyone, with Liverpool earning a good fee for a player who has given great service to the club.
Diaz will undoubtedly be a success at Bayern, where he will likely rack up more titles, while Arne Slot and Liverpool will move on themselves.
Despite their relative happiness at the outcome, though, the Reds will miss Diaz. He was a huge part of the Liverpool squad throughout his three-and-a-half years at Anfield.
Slot will certainly feel his absence, and the Liverpool head coach has revealed one of the reasons why, giving an insight into what Diaz was like on the training pitch.
Luis Diaz always gave everything in training
When he was first brought to the club in January 2022, Jurgen Klopp noted how Diaz could not stop smiling during training.
So, it was fitting that upon his exit, Slot made virtually the same observation as his predecessor.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com about his now former No. 7, the Dutchman said that even when he hadn’t been picked to play, Diaz always gave it everything in training with a smile on his face.
“First of all for the person he was because he always had a smile on his face no matter what, in the year that I’ve worked with him,” Slot said. “I played him a lot so then maybe it’s a little bit more normal to have a smile on your face!”
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“But even when I didn’t play him he always came out for every training session and gave it everything, with a smile on his face.
“Apart from that, I’m going to miss his song a lot, a lot, a lot as well because it was maybe one of the best songs our fans have for a player. And of course all that he contributed to us winning the league.”
What did Diaz say after joining Bayern?
It is always sad to see a player leave Liverpool, especially one who has given so much to the club.
However, there is a feeling around Anfield that the time was right to move Diaz on. As a result, it is easier to see his first steps at his new club.
And the 28-year-old is clearly happy to have arrived at another of the biggest clubs in Europe, Bayern.
“I’m very happy, it means a lot to me to be part of FC Bayern – they’re one of the biggest clubs in the world,” Diaz said.
“I want to help my new team with my way of playing football and my character. My goal is to win every possible title, and that’s what we’ll work for every day as a team.”
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