Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that forward Luis Diaz was left out of the squad for Saturday’s 4-2 pre-season friendly defeat to AC Milan due to ongoing speculation about his future.
The 28-year-old Colombia international, who is the subject of persistent interest from Bayern Munich, did not feature in the match in Hong Kong. The German champions reportedly had an initial bid of £58 million rejected by Liverpool earlier this month but are believed to be preparing an improved offer.
“In Lucho’s situation it was [linked to his future], yeah,” Slot confirmed in his post-match press conference. “There are a lot of rumours around him lately and I cannot go into that. He’s training really well with us but we have decided for now not to play him yet.”
The manager clarified that the absence of striker Darwin Núñez, who has also been linked with a move away, was due to a minor injury. “In Darwin’s situation he has trained also really well… but he was injured so we didn’t want to take the risk,” Slot added.
The decision to omit Diaz comes as Liverpool continues to reshape its attack. The Premier League champions have already completed blockbuster deals for forwards Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike this summer and are reportedly still pursuing Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.
Diaz joined Liverpool from FC Porto in January 2022 and was an integral part of the squad that won the 2024-25 Premier League title. His current contract runs until the summer of 2027.
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