Barcelona “being used as stalking horse” by leading transfer target

Barcelona are hoping to make signings this summer, with a goalkeeper and left winger being their priority positions to address. For the latter, Luis Diaz is the preferred target of sporting director Deco, although it could be tough for a deal to be agreed with both him and his club, Liverpool.

Deco has long admired Diaz, and he has already been granted approval from Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick to move forward with negotiations. And in recent weeks, it has looked good for the La Liga champions to get a deal done, considering Liverpool will likely need to raise funds as a result of their expected signing of Florian Wirtz.

But despite this, and also the fact that Diaz is a boyhood Barcelona supporter, it is far from certain that an agreement will be reached this summer. Sales will be needed before the funds for a deal can be raised, and further to this, personal terms may not be agreed.

As reported by Relevo, Diaz prioritises staying at Liverpool next season, and it is believed that he is using the interest from Barcelona to put pressure on the Premier League champions to offer him an improved contract.

It has been reported in recent months that Liverpool are looking to offer Diaz a new deal, but at this stage, negotiations have not been positive. The player and his representatives have been unsatisfied with the terms that have been proposed, which is why there is a desire to drum up pressure by leaning on Barcelona’s interest.

If this is the case, it would be no surprise to see Barcelona forget about Diaz, as they will only want players whose first priority is to wear the Blaugrana. And of those that falls into this category is Marcus Rashford, who is another of the club’s targets for the left wing position.