The reasons why Bayern Munich will be looking at Liverpool's Luis Diaz

Although the rumours linking Luis Diaz to Barcelona appear to have gone quiet thanks to their chase for the signature of Nico Williams, it would appear that the Colombian could still be on his way out of Anfield this summer.

According to a recent report from well-placed sources, Bayern Munich are now exploring the possibility of bringing the 28-year-old winger to the Bundesliga, and with Liverpool apparently also chasing a new winger, that would give credence to such news.

It's an interesting standpoint from the Reds given that Diaz was only behind Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo in terms of his output across 2024/25.

Indeed, he provided the same amount of assists as the Dutchman (five), and with 14 goals scored was just one shy of Gakpo.

Known for his ability to hit teams on the counter-attack, it's no surprise to understand that his 11 fast breaks were bettered only by the Egyptian King, whose stats frankly beggar belief.

Why are Liverpool looking to offload Diaz?

A shooting ability of 59.6% is the best out of all Liverpool's starting players, and it's just Salah (again) that beats his 18.9% shot conversion rate.

An 86% passing accuracy is neither the best or the worst in the squad (though his 903 total passes don't place him favourably compared with teammates) so one could legitimately therefore argue as to why Liverpool are thinking about selling Diaz in the first place.

Vincent Kompany already has the likes of Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry as left wingers, and Bryan Zaragoza is registered with the Bavarians, although he'll almost certainly leave before the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

Coman and Gnabry played markedly less football than Diaz in 24/25, and have remarkably similar records to each other during that time.

The former's six goals and four assists came in 30 games, of which 15 were as a starter, and he was also subbed off on 14 occasions. Gnabry played, started and was subbed in exactly the same amount of matches - suggesting Kompany had gone in for a job share - and was slightly more productive than his contemporary with seven goals and six assists.

Coman and Gnabry's stats are remarkably similar

With five separate instances of hitting the woodwork, Gnabry was the unluckiest of Bayern's entire squad, whilst his five fast breaks just shaded Coman's three, though both are still well behind Diaz in this regard.

Shooting accuracy is relatively equal again - 45% for Gnabry and 52.8% for Coman, with shot conversion of 13.2% and 11.8% respectively.

Serge Gnabry Radar Graphic 2024/25Opta by Stats Perform

Pass completion is a healthy 88.5% (Coman) and 85.8% (Gnabry), though the one area where we start to see a difference in the Bayern pair is with regard to their defensive responsibilities.

56.5% of tackles won by Gnabry is the second worst showing in the Bayern squad, whilst Coman's 72.2% is the third best.

Kingsley Coman Radar Graphic 2024/25Opta by Stats Perform

Four successful aerial duels from 18 attempted is a clear indicator that Gnabry's heading ability isn't the best, with his contemporary winning almost half of his (15 from 31).

Defending isn't really Diaz's forte either - 67.4% tackle success, 15 aerial duels won from 56 attempted - but he is clearly a more explosive forward.

Will Coman or Gnabry fund Diaz purchase?

At 28 years of age, he is slightly the more junior of the trio in terms of age too, which may also count for something.

What's not clear at this stage is the fee that Liverpool might demand for the player and also whether Kompany will sell either of Coman or Gnabry to help fund any potential purchase.

Luis Diaz attacking touches vs Crystal PalaceOpta by Stats Perform

Given that Diaz appeared to accept that he could be transferred to Barcelona at one stage, it would follow that the player understands that, for whatever reason, his time at Liverpool will soon come to an end.

Such is the life of a footballer, and if and when he is transferred elsewhere, Reds manager, Arne Slot will undoubtedly be candid and honest as to why he allowed the Colombian to move on.

From Bayern's point of view, buying best-in-class for each position is imperative if they want to keep themselves ahead of the pack in Germany, but perhaps more importantly, to give themselves a better shot at winning the Champions League.

Only three times this century have they been successful in European football's premier club competition (2001 vs Valencia, 2013 vs Borussia Dortmund and 2020 vs Paris Saint-Germain), and that's nowhere near good enough for a club of Bayern's stature.

Bayern's mouth-watering front three if Diaz signs on

Arguably, they'll need more than Luis Diaz to claw themselves back to the very top table, with respect, though there won't be too many teams that would be able to live with a front three of the Colombian, Harry Kane and Michael Olise.

That's a mouth-watering prospect in anyone's book.