Luckily, he is 100% focused on the Colombian national team, which is fighting for the title in the 2024 Copa América, and is not aware of all the discussions that continue to take place in his club now that a new era is beginning.
Because while Luis Díaz is risking his life for his country, Liverpool are once again criticising his goal-scoring average, his importance in the squad, and comparing him to other players. It’s the usual thing, it must be said. But after his last season, in which he was the most in-form attacker in the trident, the dissatisfaction sounds a bit exhausting.
The one who has now referred to the Colombian is a legend, one who upon his arrival described him as a “brilliant player” and who now seems to belittle him.
In an interview with AceOdds, Michael Owen accidentally spoke about the Colombian, as what he wanted was to express his concern for the future of two key players and ended up splashing him.
“I don’t necessarily think there is anyone or any position that is really weak (at Liverpool)… My biggest concern is finding the next absolute genius players, who make a difference. And if any of them emerge, that’s where Liverpool “should look over the next few years. Their elite players are getting older, players like Van Dijk and Salah and, with all due respect, you can replace practically all the other players but not them,” he said.
“There are great players all over the world, but finding the best centre-back in the world is not easy or replacing him is not going to be easy. Finding a right-wing attacker who scores 30 goals a year is almost impossible. So two greats will leave or get old or whatever in the next three or four years. That’s my concern for Liverpool,” he added.
Luis Diaz in Liverpool vs Brighton
Photo:
PAUL ELLIS / AFP
Just four irreplaceable ones
Owen later included Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the list of irreplaceable players in the interview and then lumped everyone else together.
“There are certain players who are just exceptional and world-class and are literally one of the best in the world in their position. And without being disrespectful to any other player, with all due respect, any other player, if he left Liverpool, you’d think, ‘Well, OK, it’s a bit sad, but you can definitely replace him,'” he said.
And he did mention the Colombian directly: “You can definitely get another Luis Díaz or Darwin Núñez or Curtis Jones or whoever. You can find those players out there. They are really, really good players but you can find them. You can’t replace Virgil van Dijk. You can’t replace Mo Salah. You just can’t,” he said.
The current squad does not seem very impressed by a world champion like Mac Allister and that makes one think that perhaps it is not personal to put Díaz in the background, but it is clear that if he leaves, as has been rumored in recent days , you won’t miss him: “Liverpool’s biggest challenge now is to find the next 20- to 22-year-old player who will make an absolute difference and who can stay in the team for another 10 years, pin you down and build a team. So that’s my greater concern,” he concluded.
