Liverpool

Tyrese King
BBC Sport journalist

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Liverpool manager Arne Slot praised Rio Ngumoha after the 16-year-old impressed in their pre-season in Tokyo against AC Milan and Yokohama FM.

"Rio again showed the quality he has and that's nice for us because we have a lot of very good players," Slot said after his side overcame Yokohama FM 3-1, with Ngumoha scoring the third.

"It's always nice to see young players from 16, 17 or 18 years old already impacting a game. If you are 16 and you can impact the game like he did, that's definitely worth a compliment."

In a summer where Liverpool have gained headlines because of high-spending and the big names they have attracted to Anfield, Ngumoha could be an option to replace Luis Diaz, who has completed a move to German champions Bayern Munich for £65.5m.

Another academy graduate - Trey Nyoni - also impressed against Yokohama FM, finding the net in a fixture that saw Florian Wirtz net his first Liverpool goal.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Liverpool are set to sign Salford City's teenage striker Will Wright, beating Arsenal to a deal in the process.

The 17-year-old has passed his medical ahead of a £200,000 move to Liverpool, with Arsenal now considering alternative targets to strengthen their academy team.

One target is England Under-17 international Igor Tyjon, currently at Blackburn

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Liverpool signed off their pre-season spell in Japan with a victory over Yokohama F. Marinos.

After falling behind, Florian Wirtz scored his first goal for the club before Trey Nyoni nudged the Reds ahead from Jeremie Frimpong's cross.

Sixteen-year-old Rio Ngumoha completed the scoring with his second goal in pre-season, applying a clinical finish in the final moments.

Boss Arne Slot revealed before kick-off that goalkeeper Alisson was unavailable for selection after returning to Brazil for personal reasons.

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Departing Liverpool forward Luis Diaz says he is leaving with a "feeling of duty fulfilled" and paid tribute to Diogo Jota in an emotional farewell message after his move to German champions Bayern Munich was confirmed.

Diaz and Jota won four major trophies together at Anfield, including the Premier League last season, before the latter tragically died in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva at the start of July.

"I arrived with all the dreams in the world, and I am leaving proud of everything we achieved together," Diaz wrote on Instagram, external.

"I have met incredible people, fabulous colleagues, coaches who helped me a lot, and extraordinary fans. Liverpool is, indeed, a special team, and I will keep everyone in my heart.

"It's good to be leaving with the feeling of a duty fulfilled, and, most of all, to be leaving a champion. It would have been the perfect goodbye if we hadn't lost one of ours in such a tragic way.

"I carry everyone with me in my heart, but one of them in particular: Diogo. I will never forget him. We will never forget him. Thank you for everything."

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Luis Diaz's three-and-a-half years at Liverpool has come to an end.

The Colombia forward has completed his move to Bayern Munich in a £65.5m deal, including add-ons.

Diaz arrived at Anfield from Porto in for an initial £37m in January 2022 and scored 41 goals in 148 appearances, including 13 as the Reds won the Premier League title last season.

The 28-year-old also won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup twice with the club and was part of the side that reached the Champions League in 2022.

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Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign 17-year-old striker Will Wright from Salford City. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Fenerbahce are interested in Liverpool's 27-year-old Italy forward Federico Chiesa but he is prioritising a return to Serie A. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

Lyon are interested in English midfielder Tyler Morton, 22, and have made contact with Liverpool. (Times - subscription required), external

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We asked for your views on who Liverpool should target to replace Luis Diaz.

Here are some of your comments:

AJ: They should target Jadon Sancho. Can get him for £20-25m and he'd jump at the chance. Most Manchester United fans probably don't care where he goes at this point.

Tim: Excellent piece of business once again by Liverpool. Diaz, at 28 years old, wanted unrealistic wages and wouldn't budge so we sold at market rate. Rio Ngumoha should now be given his chance to compete with Cody Gakpo as he's been electric in pre-season and training. Our spending should now be on Alexander Isak and Marc Guehi. Retaining the league is a minimum but winning the Champions League should be our higher goal.

Yusuf: I think we should work with what we have - we should utilise Gakpo on the left but also really concentrate on Ngumoha as well. He could have a breakthrough season. Any more attackers and things may get a bit out of shape up front. We already have so much talent and firepower up front - we should really be concentrating what is happening at the defence and upgrading there. Ekitike can also drift to the left potentially. Then there is all the Isak talk but in reality we don't need to replace Diaz, our next signing really should be a centre-back.

Daryl: Gakpo has already been an upgrade on the left during the past 12 months. In my opinion, there should be no need to replace him up top.

Chris: Liverpool don't need Isak. He is injury-prone and the way Liverpool play, we need players who are injury averse. Yes he can score goals but we have that in abundance already. Let's concentrate on a defender or two.

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Liverpool "can upgrade" on Luis Diaz if he does complete his move to Bayern Munich, believes Redmen TV's Dan Clubbe.

The 28-year-old is set for a medical with the Bundesliga champions after a £65.5m deal was agreed on Sunday.

Diaz had been left out of Liverpool's squad for Saturday's 4-2 pre-season friendly defeat by AC Milan in Hong Kong because of speculation about his future.

"It was clearly in his wishes to leave and therefore it is probably in everyone's best interest that he goes," Clubbe told BBC Radio Merseyside. "I'm not sure how much value there was in keeping a relatively unhappy and unsettled Luis Diaz around much longer.

"It became pretty apparent that he wanted to move."

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The Colombia international arrived at Anfield from Porto in a deal worth an initial £37m in January 2022 and has scored 41 goals in 148 appearances, including 13 as the Reds won the Premier League title last season.

His 17 goals in all competitions in 2024-25 made it the most prolific campaign of his career.

"He has been exceptional - there is no getting around that," said Clubbe. "He hit the ground running and was exceptional early doors. He lost a little bit of that X-factor as his time went on at the club, although his numbers last time were still impressive.

"I feel like we can upgrade on him. He has often lived in the shadows of whoever has been ahead of him and never really made his place in that position his own.

"It never felt like he was indispensable to Liverpool and that is how it has turned out."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Who should Liverpool target to replace Diaz?

(Beyond Alexander Isak that is...)

Let us know

Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

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Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich is a strange move in many regards.

Firstly, it is not often Liverpool sell players who get into the strongest XI out of choice. Yes, Trent Alexander-Arnold moved to Real Madrid on a free when his contract expired this summer, but the last time the Reds chose to sell a contracted player who would still have started the following season was Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona back in 2018.

In both cases, the players forced their exits.

Diaz was Liverpool's second best attacker last term behind Mohamed Salah. He scored 17 goals in total from the left wing, a phenomenal total, especially given 13 of those helped the Reds win the Premier League.

Right now, Liverpool will be weaker without him. Diaz is better than Cody Gakpo, and new signing Florian Wirtz wants to play at number 10, where he has so far been used in the pre-season friendlies.

The £65.5m fee is probably about right. It sounds a lot for a 28-year-old, but this is a market where Joao Felix has just gone for over £40m and one where Saudi sides were willing to pay £100m for Bruno Fernandes.

The biggest caveat of course is that Diaz's sale will help Liverpool sign Alexander Isak. The Newcastle striker is desperate for the move, but they cannot sell until they get a replacement in. It would be very handy for Liverpool if Manchester United could leave Newcastle alone in the race for Benjamin Sesko.

If Newcastle sign the RB Leipzig man, they will surely cash in on wantaway Isak.

Even so, remarkably this would still leave Liverpool slightly short on the left hand side.

Can the Reds really sign Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Isak and a left-winger all in one window?

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external

Alexander Isak, 25, has approved personal terms with Liverpool on a five-year contract if a fee can be agreed to sign the Newcastle and Sweden striker. (Sky Sports Switzerland - in French, external)

Meanwhile, Liverpool, Everton, Aston Villa and Bournemouth are set to miss out on highly rated 20-year-old Frenchman Nathan Zeze, with the Nantes defender preferring a move to Saudi Pro League side Neom SC. (Sun, external)

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There is something unique about a football fan's love for their club.

As once said by the great Arrigo Sacchi: "Football is the most important of the least important things in life".

Tears of joy - and heartbreak. Friendships forged. Memories that last a lifetime.

Sometimes it is there from the beginning, sometimes a moment is what starts it all or takes it to another level.

Wherever it comes from, the love for a club is often there for life.

As a new season edges closer, we want to know why you love Liverpool.

When was the moment it all began?

What is your most special memory?

Your first home game? Earliest shirt? A seminal away trip?

Send us your pictures and stories

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We asked for your views on Luis Diaz's imminent departure from Liverpool to Bayern Munich.

Here are some of your comments:

Phil: Gutted that Luis is leaving us. He was great to watch, wonderful skill on the ball and a great eye for goal. I'm worried about the impact of his loss. I love Cody Gakpo but Luis is a better carrier and more progressive with the ball. Shame he wants to leave but wishing him, and us, the best.

Ross: Diaz to Bayern is a great deal for all parties involved. He gets a bumper contract and Liverpool get some more spending power to continue our mental transfer window. Win-win all round.

Paul: It's not ideal, a workhorse of a player that has flair and an eye for a goal. Signing Alexander Isak would soften the blow though.

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Gary: From a financial perspective, it makes good sense but his energy and commitment on the pitch will be missed. Good luck to the lad!

Ash: He wanted to leave so let him go, and now use the money to get a centre-back. We have enough going forward - although Isak and Rodrygo would be nice too - but prioritise a centre-back.

Rod: Bad decision to let him go. He has worked his socks off for us and scored some wonderful goals. Will be very sorry to see him go.

Richard: A real shame to see Diaz leave. He is a fantastic player but with Gakpo, Wirtz and now the emergence of Rio Ngumoha as options on the left, I don't think we need to replace him. I suspect either Darwin Nunez or Harvey Elliott will also leave. Maybe both if we're serious about getting Isak.

Choose how you're feeling about Diaz leaving here

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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It is easy to see why Luis Diaz is an attractive prospect for Bayern Munich.

Diaz's shot conversion rate of 18.3% in 24-25 comfortably ranked as his best in a Premier League season.

Many of his other attributes stood out statistically too.

Diaz sat just outside the top 10 in the Premier League for most combined goals and assists (18), shots on target (30), chances created (56) and dribbles completed (52).

His defensive attributes and work-rate are also evidenced by the fact he won possession in the final third on 22 occasions, more than any other Liverpool player relative to their time spent on the pitch.

He will certainly be a loss if and when his move to the Bundesliga goes through.

Newcastle are expecting to receive a formal offer from Liverpool for 25-year-old Sweden striker Alexander Isak next week. (Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Luis Diaz is set to join Bayern Munich after the German champions agreed a deal worth 75m euro (£65.5m) including add-ons with Liverpool.

The Reds rejected an initial bid of £58.6m from Bayern for the Colombia forward earlier this month.

Diaz was left out of Liverpool's squad for Saturday's 4-2 pre-season friendly defeat by AC Milan in Hong Kong because of speculation surrounding the 28-year-old's future.

He has been given permission by Liverpool to fly to Europe from Asia to complete a medical in the coming days.

Diaz arrived at Anfield from Porto in a deal worth an initial £37m in January 2022 and has scored 41 goals in 148 appearances, including 13 as the Reds won the Premier League title last season.

His 17 goals in all competitions in 2024-25 was the most prolific season of his career.

How do you feel about the news? Is it the right decision by the club to let him go for that fee?

Do they need to replace him and who should they try to buy if so?

Let us know here

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Premier League champions Liverpool kicked off their pre-season tour of Asia with a shock 4-2 defeat against Serie A side AC Milan at Kai Tak Sports Park.

Massimiliano Allegri's counter-attacking side got the better of Arne Slot's experimental team, as Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo were the only two Liverpool names to feature on the scoresheet.

The Reds arrived in Hong Kong full of confidence, after early pre-season wins over Preston North End and Stoke City, but their attention will now turn to facing Yokohama Marinos in the J.League World Challenge final on Wednesday, 30 July (11:30 BST).