Luis Díaz: Barcelona keen to sign Liverpool forward – source

Barcelona view Luis Díaz as the ideal candidate to strengthen their attack next season, but the Spanish champions are also assessing other options due to the difficulties in signing the Colombia international from Liverpool, a source has told ESPN.

Díaz, 28, has two years to run on his contract with Liverpool, which expires in 2027, but he suggested earlier this month he would be open to extending his stay at the Premier League club.

However, Barça continue to explore a move for the forward, with ESPN revealing last week the Catalan club hope to sign a winger, a centre-back and a full-back this summer.

Sporting director Deco also told ESPN recently that there is “suddenly a dependency on Raphinha and Lamine Yamal,” adding that there is a desire to add depth in the forward positions when the transfer window opens.

Díaz, 28, is the player who best fits the profile Barça are looking for, a source told ESPN, because he can adapt to various roles.

Striker Robert Lewandowski turns 37 in August and Díaz could help take the load off the Poland international — he has played centrally for Liverpool at times — and he would also enable coach Hansi Flick to rotate Raphinha and Yamal more.

Díaz, who’s scored 17 goals this season, would also add more experience to a young squad, but the source says Barça’s financial situation will dictate whether they will be able to move for the former Porto man or focus on more affordable options.

Barça have also shown an interest in Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford and Athletic Club’s Nico Williams in the past, with sources last week saying no names are definitively off the table at this stage.

Rashford was an option in January before he joined Aston Villa on loan, while Williams, who has a €58 million ($65.75m) release clause, was a target last summer before Barça settled on Dani Olmo.

Barça president Joan Laporta spoke this week optimistically about the club’s financial situation ahead of the summer.

However, they are still awaiting LaLiga’s approval on certain deals, including the sale of VIP seats at Spotify Camp Nou, where they hope they will be playing home games from again next season after two years at the Olympic Stadium while renovation work has been carried out.

Once that situation is resolved, coupled with any outgoings, Barça will have a better idea of what business they can do this summer, but there’s acknowledgement that negotiating with Liverpool will not be straightforward.