Liverpool ready to strike €50m agreement to replace Luis Diaz

Despite a strong season, one Reds star could be coming to the end of his career at the club.

Luis Diaz is 28-years-old now and approaching the final two years of his contract. Anfield Watch revealed exclusively that he is among the players who are up for sale this summer.

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The Colombian has attracted interest from various sides, including most notably from Saudi Arabia, where he would be guaranteed to receive a lucrative offer.

Diaz has been a key part of Liverpool's Premier League title success. However, he is a player who can often be streaky and he doesn't always deliver consistently.

It was always going to be hard to live up to Sadio Mane's legacy, which are heights few have reached in a Liverpool shirt but Diaz has done a reasonable job.

The question mark really is about his long-term suitability to Slot's style of football and it just feels like Liverpool are better off building on some new.

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That someone could be Jamie Gittens who Anfield Watch understands Liverpool scouts admire and have followed closely.

The Borussia Dortmund winger is available this summer and he has requested to leave the German side, with his dream now set on the Premier League.

Liverpool are not the only club interested in Gittens with Chelsea also among the clubs vying for his services.

There have been suggestions in the past that Dortmund want as much as €80m for his services, which deterred Liverpool from making a move.

However, a new report from CaughtOffside's Daily Briefing has claimed that Dortmund have now slashed his price tag and are ready to accept a €50m.

Anfield Watch understands that at this price Liverpool are willing to do business and ready to strike an agreement with the German side.

Having grown up in England and played for Manchester City's academy, Gittens qualifies as a homegrown player which Liverpool are going to need more of as a mass exodus of homegrown stars is expected at Anfield this summer.

On top of that he is eight years younger than Diaz at just 20-years-old. Yet he brings about the same kind of qualities - most notably his one vs one ability.

Gittens is one of the most effective dribblers in the Bundesliga. He has completed the most take-ons (76) in the competition so far this season.

He also averages the most dribblers per 90 minutes (8.8) and has the second best dribble success rate among players who average at least five dribbles per 90 minutes (62.28%).

There are other areas of his game that he needs to improve, like Diaz he needs to be more effective in his link-up play and be more clinical in front of goal.

However, it's much easier to teach these things to a 20-year-old than a 28-year-old. On top of that, if Liverpool can get Gittens for €50m (around £43m), they would be able to replace Diaz for a lot cheaper than the asking price they have set on him, which is around £60m.

It means Liverpool would add an excess of £17m into the net spend which then gives Richard Hughes the opportunity to further invest into the squad.

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While earlier figures made this Gittens deal look an unlikely one for Liverpool, at his new price tag, this is no brainer and one to watch for the Reds.