Is Luis Diaz leaving Liverpool? Everything we know about rumors as Man City linked

In the maelstrom of a transfer window, it can be difficult to know who or what to believe. With journalists looking to secure the scoop of the summer, news can spread like wildfire in an instant, whether it proves to be accurate information or not.

While transfer gossip never goes away entirely, the final few weeks of a window are when it hits its peak. Rumor battles counter-rumor, and that appears to have been the case regarding Liverpool winger Luis Díaz .

The Colombian has been linked with Barcelona for a long time, with his father admitting earlier this year that he hadn’t ‘lost hope’ that the 27-year-old might play in Spain eventually. Yet while the idea of Diaz moving to Camp Nou wouldn’t necessarily sicken Liverpool supporters, recent links to Manchester City might.

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Such a move would be a bombshell, undoubtedly the signing of the Premier League summer, purely for the shockwaves it would send around social media if for no other reason. But is Diaz actually likely to leave Liverpool in the next three weeks? Let’s assess what we know.

The news regarding his potential move to the Etihad Stadium was broken by Marcos Benito of El Chiringuito, a Spanish television show. He claimed that an agreement was in place for a five year deal, with City willing to pay $77m (£60m/€70m) to secure the former Porto man.

Benito doubled down on X (formerly Twitter). “Liverpool are already looking for a replacement for the Colombian,” he posted. “Apart from Luis Díaz, City also want a second striker after the departure of Julián [Alvarez]. Nothing is finalised yet. Liverpool have to evaluate the offer.”

Having recently sold its Argentinian forward to Atletico Madrid, it’s plausible City could be in the market for new attacking talent. But Diaz?

It appears not. “Liverpool have had no approaches for Luis Diaz from any club,” posted The Athletic’s James Pearce on Tuesday. His colleague Sam Lee , the City correspondent for the outlet, echoed the point. “Understand there is no truth in the Luis Diaz links. That was genuinely fun for 15 minutes,” he posted, adding: “apart from anything else, signing *any* winger would feel a bit mad at the moment.”

For many football fans, transfer news is not legitimate unless it is shared by Fabrizio Romano for some reason. “Manchester City sources deny any agreement with Luís Diaz after recent reports,” he posted on X, seemingly drawing a line under this potentially explosive story. But at least it drew some ire from disgruntled Liverpool supporters for a few hours, eh?

Liverpool.com says: If any Liverpool forward is to leave this summer, Diaz feels the likeliest. But with two goals against Sevilla, he also looks in excellent shape ahead of the new season. Selling him to a direct rival would be a crazy move, and fortunately it appears City are looking elsewhere.