Why Signing Luis Díaz Could Be A Costly Mistake For Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich fans can now add Liverpool’s Luis Díaz to the long list of forwards linked to their club this summer. Multiple reports out of England and Germany reported on Tuesday that Bayern has made an offer of €67.5 million ($78.3 million).

Liverpool has immediately turned down that offer per multiple reports. It isn’t the first time that Bayern has failed with their opening proposal for one of their targets this week. Yesterday, multiple reports out of Germany suggested that Bayern also saw an offer for Nick Woltemade turned down by Stuttgart.

As things stand, Díaz could be the latest target Bayern fails to sign this summer. Indeed, Liverpool has made it quite clear in their briefings to journalists that the club has no interest in selling the Colombian forward.

The only thing that could change Liverpool’s thinking would be a significant offer significantly north of $100 million. The stance makes sense. Díaz played a strong season under manager Arne Slot last year, scoring 13 goals and seven assists in 36 Premier League games for the Anfield club.

Statistically speaking, it was Díaz’s best season in the Premier League since joining Liverpool during the 2021/22 season. As a result, Liverpool has told Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who are also interested in the player, that they are not interested in selling Díaz this summer.

What about Díaz? The player camp has signaled to Bayern that the 28-year-old winger is willing to move clubs this summer. Part of this might come down to money. Bayern and Barcelona are known for paying higher wages than Liverpool.

Indeed, Fenway Sports, which owns and operates the Premier League club, is known for running a tight salary structure. It was for that reason that Bayern was able to lure away Sadio Mané from Liverpool in the summer of 2022.

That transfer, however, should also be a warning to Bayern. Mané not only didn’t work out at Bayern but also further complicated the Rekordmeister’s salary structure. With Sané’s departure, Bayern was finally on the path of creating a more homogenous wage structure, and signing Díaz could be a step back in this regard.

“I have to save, save, save,” director of sport Max Eberl said at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States when asked about the Woltemade transfer. That stance is still true. Eberl is currently navigating a tight line between his club’s efforts to restructure and cut down on salaries, while also adding quality players to remain competitive in the Champions League.

In fact, the situation has only been further complicated by the horrendous Jamal Musiala injury. With Musiala out, Bayern now needs to add two players in the short term. The goal is to sign a left-winger and a player like Woltemade, who can replace Musiala in the short term and Harry Kane in the long term.

As things stand, Bayern is in a situation where neither Díaz nor Woltemade will be added to the club. There is no doubt that Bayern is going to make another offer for the Liverpool forward. But the Reds have made their position quite clear. They don’t want to sell, and instead of losing key players, are more interested in adding pieces.

That will not keep Bayern from trying again. Sky Germany reported on Tuesday that Bayern is going to make another attempt. They also believe that the Rekordmeister has a verbal agreement in place with Díaz that would see him sign a contract until 2029 with an option for 2030.

Is a Díaz deal possible? That’s hard to imagine at this point. Bayern’s recent bid was already beyond their comfort zone. Furthermore, it is a risky endeavor as it is. Díaz will turn 29 this season and is only one year younger than their other left-winger, Kingsley Coman. That’s not the sort of forward-thinking transfer the club should be conducting this window.

Indeed, Bayern Munich brought in Eberl from RB Leipzig and sporting director Christoph Freund from Red Bull Salzburg to cut out the middleman and sign players before they became top stars. Woltemade would have been available on a free transfer last year. Díaz, in the meantime, is an expensive player with a short runway.

With that in mind, the current Bayern bosses are at risk of falling into the same trap that the previous regime under Hasan Salihamidzic and Oliver Kahn did. Díaz has the potential to be Mané 2.0—an expensive player who won’t address the squad’s structural issues in the long term.