It is no secret that Luis Diaz and his father are flirting with a move away from Liverpool this summer as their eyes shift focus towards what will most likely be a Barcelona move if the transfer gets the green light.
Diaz, who has bagged 24 goals and 13 assists in 98 appearances has been a point of debate for many fans after some mixed performances which has led his position in the side to be questioned.
If Diaz need a replacement this summer, then there are three players who stand out from the rest, here is a list of the three and why they would be the perfect signing for the new Arne Slot era.
Nico Williams
At just 21 years old Nico Williams is one of the brightest stars in Europe right now despite often being out shone by his older brother Inaki Williams in recent years. These brothers both play for Athletic Bilbao and yet it's the younger brother Nico who has made the Spanish team for this year's Euros which shows how much faith and trust the Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has in the youngster.
Williams has 46 goal contributions in 122 goals for Bilbao which is extremely impressive for someone of his age. In fact even more impressively Williams became the only player on record at the Euros - since 1980 - to score a goal, assist a goal, and complete 100% of his passes in a game that he started in his appearance against Georgia on Sunday.
The Spaniard is clearly a huge talent and now he is performing on an international stage it is likely that many top clubs will be swooping in for him this summer. Both Diaz and WIlliams are known for their pace, agility, dribbling and drive which makes it an ideal swap ahead of the new season which will see manager Arne Slot desperate to build the perfect team to chase the title.
The second addition to the list is Anthony Gordon who much like Williams is another youth prospect after turning 23 years old in February. This is an interesting transfer rumour as Newcastle have to comply with the Premier League‘s profit and sustainability rules by selling several key players this summer.
Gordon is likely to be one of these players despite him signing for the club from Everton last January for £45 million. The Magpies will be desperate to sell Gordon for a profit but could take a lower offer if it means the club avoids a point deduction ahead of next season.
If Gordon did join Liverpool, he would bolster its front three as not only, is he one of the Premier League’s top young talents, he is also a player who can play anywhere along that front three which is a quality that none of Liverpool’s current forwards have.
Third on the list is Federico Chiesa, one of Italy’s biggest talents in recent years who has spent his entire career in his home country so far. Interestingly the Italian’s contract with Juventus runs out in June 2025 which means if Liverpool do want a quick replacement, then Chiesa could be perfect as if Juventus don’t sell this summer, it could run the risk of losing him for free next season.
Chiesa is slightly older than the rest of the list with him turning 27 years old this October however age is just a number to the forward who has been consistently brilliant for a number of years now. Liverpool have been linked with Chiesa for a long time now and may have been waiting for his contract to slowly run out which is the perfect method for a club which uses every strategy to save money on what is normally a moderate budget.
The Italians directness, energy and rapid pace make him another ideal candidate to replace Diaz this summer and now that Italy have been brutally knocked out of the Euros it means he can rest for the new season potentially ahead of a move to Merseyside.