I think the thing that got me the most was that Barca so resented the question it sounds like they pulled the plug on the deal lol.
If a buying club isn’t willing to guarantee a player could even play for them isn’t a massive red flag, I don’t know what is.
Depends on the level of game time I suppose. Diaz has played a lot but hasn’t played 90 mins much. Subbed off 21 times in the league, subbed on 8. That’s only 7 league games where he played 90. As a rotational LW/CF he might be happy, especially with the pay rise he’ll get
It’s not game time though, it’s the actual registration in the squad. They had similar issues with Dani Olmo and another, because of their financial situation and La Liga rules. I would never go there if you can’t even guarantee me that, but obviously being Barca they will find a way I guess.
As of a couple of days ago they’re claiming they’ve refinanced and activated another financial lever, etc. They’ve also claimed to have finally paid all deferred wages from COVID. So theoretically they have the money for Lamal’s bumper contract and a couple of signings.
But he’s not going to play every minute for Barcelona either, even if he is registered.
Wide attackers are always some of the first to get subbed.
That’s my point. He’s already comfortable with not playing 90 week in, week out. Barca offer a better contract than he’s on here and fairly decent game time (which doesn’t mean all game, every game) and I can see how he’d want it. Nico Williams is a fair few years younger and should be coming into his prime; the amount of game time he’ll want guarenteed is almost definitely more than Diaz. Barca not guarenteeing enough for Williams doesn’t mean they can’t guarentee an amount the Diaz would be happy with.
Right, but the requested guarantee that is being reported was not about playing time. It was about whether Barca had the financial room to even register him, which is a totally normal question to ask under the circumstances
Assuming that Diaz signs for Barcelona and Barca can’t register him ? Do we still get the money ?
Barcelona are a mess and I would be very careful dealing with them. On the club side we need the right fee - doubtful they have it, and obviously the right guarantees and structure. If it’s Mickey Mouse it’s not happening. I’m confident with Hughes at the helm for this stuff.
If our terms are met and the player wants to go, that’s his lookout. If it is smooth for the player, great. But Diaz would not be the first signing they make who they couldn’t even register to play, due to overspending. Arguably they sign him and then get into a lawsuit with La Liga to relax the rules, as there are only so many levers to pull.
That’s why I’m hoping it is Al Nasser, although as a sporting prospect, they are nothing to Barcelona.
I don’t want someone like Diaz at his prime joining a tinpot league.
If he wants the money, he might go. That appears to be a key driver at the moment, as there have been plenty of whispers from his camp that he feels he should be paid more.
Obviously the sporting prospect is not there though. It is a footballing backwater.
If he ends up staying with us I will be happy about that. He’s a very good player and I’m not pushing him out the door!
Well in fairness, if the reports about 55k per week base salary are true, he should be being paid more.
Tough one here. I like Diaz a lot and he does so much for our play outside of just goals. I think Gakpo is the better prospect long term and might even be the better player right now, but Diaz gives defenders something else to think about.
All that said, I’d bite Barca’s hand off for 65-70M.
I’m not up on the details, but I’ve read a few times that the 55k thing is wide of the mark and he is paid much more. It may be a number his camp put out there for their own purposes, but it was a net figure, and was probably also the basic amount, sans bonuses.
Without seeing his paystub I would imagine his gross salary last season, with bonuses, was in the region of 130-150k per week.
In our structure he probably feels like he is worth a healthy pay bump.
I would imagine Barcelona would pay him more, and the Saudis probably more again.
Depends on the structure. Base fees yes, anything performance related probably not because he wont be playing.
According to Florian they’ve discussed all our strikers bar Florian and have yet to even approach us.
They are salty over Wirtz.
We’ve got our Florian. Best come up with a name for that Twitter handle.
Salty Bayern knob?
True. But…
This is all come about from some “underhanded” tactics by Bilbao, including some serious emotional pressure on the player. The Basque clubs do this often… See Zubimendi..
But all Barca has to do is assure the player accordingly, rather than making it look like he’s asking for something unreasonable…
He’s been added to the shortlist according to Sky Germany. How short do you have to be to make the list?
Bayern Munich have added Liverpool and Colombia forward Luis Diaz, 28, to their shortlist as they continue to search for a top-class left winger. (Sky Germany)
