The tactical change at Barcelona that makes sense of Deco pursuit of Luis Diaz

Barcelona have made Liverpool winger Luis Diaz their top target for next summer, having been considered by the Catalan giants last summer. In the end they opted to pursue first Nico Williams and then Dani Olmo, successfully in the latter case. However Diaz was the first choice of Director of Football Deco, and he is adamant about the Colombian’s value.

It has raised some eyebrows, given in theory the front three is the area of the team that has impressed most for Hansi Flick this season. Diaz would give Barcelona another option on the left wing, where Raphinha has been operating, seemingly duplicating resources.

According to Sport, Deco’s thinking is that Raphinha will move inside to play behind Robert Lewandowski, with Diaz to take his place on the left side. The Brazilian’s form in front of goal and getting into the box has made him come increasingly central, and at times this season, he has already been played inside in the number 10 position, both early on, and as Barcelona looked for goals late on in games. It is where Flick feels he is at his best.

Of course, that is the position that Barcelona are arguably most strong at, with Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez sharing the role this season. Olmo has struggled at times in his debut season, through injury and registration issues, while Lopez has arguably made the case for more minutes.

If Raphinha does move behind Lewandowski, then it would in theory leave their €55m signing on the bench just a year after arriving. There has been some suggestion that Manchester City could bid for him, but Olmo is believed to be focused on staying at Barcelona

There is still a long way to go before this becomes a reality. Diaz has been priced at around €85m, a figure that seems out of reach for Barcelona of late, and certainly requires them to sort out their salary limit issues. Liverpool manager Arne Slot also made it clear that he was not thinking about entertaining a move for Diaz either.