Liverpool’s pursuit of Alexander Isak hits a blow as latest twist is taken

The Reds are under pressure to raise a lot of money during the transfer window, but a crucial part of their plan – selling Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich – has turned out to be more complicated than expected.

The Colombian winger has been named as one of Isak’s replacements, along with Darwin Nunez and Xavi Elliott. Liverpool are hoping to fetch around £80m for Diaz alone, which would significantly increase the club’s reserves for Isak.

Liverpool failed to secure the expected transfer fee for Diaz.

However, according to Foot Mercato, Bayern Munich’s current offer is just £65m, well below the Reds’ valuation, and the German side appear to be in no rush to raise their bid.

To make matters worse, Barcelona has publicly withdrawn from the race for Diaz, weakening Liverpool’s negotiating position.

After missing out on Nico Williams, the Catalan club decided to move for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, before club president Joan Laporta confirmed that no other players would be sought.

The news made Bayern the only club seriously pursuing Diaz, giving them leverage in negotiations and eliminating any fears of being overpaid.

Bayern manager Vincent Kompany can now wait in peace for Liverpool’s offer, knowing full well that the Premier League club may need to lower their asking price out of necessity.

Alexander Isak remains a priority for the Reds

Despite having already signed Hugo Ekitik for £79m, Liverpool’s interest in Isak remains strong, especially after the Swedish striker made it clear he wanted to leave Newcastle.

However, the Magpies are being tough, especially with the striker demanding £300,000-a-week wages, a price Liverpool have proven willing to pay after offering a similar package to new signing Florian Wirtz.

With no formal offer yet to be made to Newcastle, industry sources suggest Liverpool are still working on a transfer behind the scenes, but unless Bayern meet Diaz’s asking price or another major transfer comes along, Liverpool’s financial resources could be stretched.