Liverpool supporters were left raising their eyebrows in the summer when Bayern Munich paid big money to sign 28-year-old Luis Díaz yet the Colombian winger is quickly making that outlay look like a bargain.
There is no doubting Díaz’s talent. A league title winner in Colombia, Portugal, and England with Atlético Junior, Porto, and Liverpool respectively he enjoyed his most prolific season to date last term with the Reds, contributing 13 goals and seven assists in their Premier League title-winning campaign under Arne Slot.
it was Jürgen Klopp, not Slot, who brought Díaz to Anfield in 2022. With 29 of his 38 league appearances in 2024/25 seeing him either subbed on or off, whispers grew that he might become surplus to requirements a suspicion confirmed when he departed for Germany in July.
Bayern made Díaz their third-most expensive signing ever, behind only Harry Kane and Lucas Hernandez. At the time, there was a perception that Liverpool had done well to cash in, but Díaz’s early form at Bayern has forced a rethink.
The Colombian has already propelled Bayern to the top of both the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League, netting five goals and providing four assists in just six league matches a rate of one goal every hour on the pitch. And it’s not just his output in front of goal Díaz presses from the front, wins the ball high, and consistently drives attacks forward, proving he can change games single-handedly.
Back at Anfield, Liverpool’s summer window has left fans uneasy. On paper, the Reds sit just one point off the Premier League summit. In practice, however, things have been more uneven. New signings such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have struggled to settle into the squad, raising questions about their suitability for a team undergoing so much change.
While most outgoing transfers were broadly accepted by supporters, Díaz’s sale drew a more mixed reaction. Many fans still feel his absence keenly, a sentiment fueled further by Barcelona legend Xavi, who has praised the winger’s qualities and hinted at what the Reds may have lost.
Before joining Bayern, Díaz had been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona. Xavi, then manager at Camp Nou, told Colombian outlet Gol Caracol:
“It was real, but the economic situation was woeful, very difficult for us at that time. It was one of the priorities for the staff, for me, when I was the coach, but it was impossible.
The reasons are obvious. A world-class footballer capable of making a difference. A winger with blazing speed, a goal scorer, an assist-maker and a hard worker.”
During his three-and-a-half years at Anfield, Díaz displayed flashes of world-class brilliance. He helped Liverpool lift trophies and played a key role in last season’s Premier League title-winning campaign. Yet he was not always consistent.
Critics argue it’s easier to remember the highs once a player has left, sometimes overlooking the periods when performances dipped.
Even allowing for that, Díaz’s current form at Bayern is undeniable. Six goals and four assists in his first 10 appearances add weight to Xavi’s assessment and illustrate the type of impact Liverpool may now be missing.
it’s clear that losing a player of his pace, work rate, and goal threat has left a gap. His ability to combine direct attacking play with defensive pressing made him a uniquely valuable player under both Klopp and Slot.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s summer additions, including Wirtz and Isak, have struggled to find that immediate impact. It is not unusual for new signings to need time to settle, but the pace of change at Anfield has left some fans wondering whether the Reds have disrupted a delicate balance in the squad.
Liverpool may continue to enjoy success this season, but for some fans, every Díaz goal for Bayern will serve as a little sting proof that sometimes, the player you let go can turn out to be the very piece you needed the most.
