Liverpool confirmed Luis Diaz’s departure from Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window and considered hiring a replacement, but ultimately decided not to.
Liverpool chose not to replace Luis Diaz, who left Anfield this summer, but the club wanted to leave a path open to youngster Rio Ngumoja.
The Colombian ace opted to end his time with the Reds in the summer, joining Bayern Munich, but left a noticeable void when he left. Dias was a big hit on Merseyside and is well known for his influence in the final third, which he brought back to the German giants.
Liverpool spent heavily in the summer, but the decision not to pursue a direct replacement for Dias, which has been flagged as a mistake, was borne out of a desire to ensure Gumoha was given a chance, The Times reports.
Dias, who joined from Porto in 2022, was keen to leave Liverpool around 18 months ago and only chose to stay after some very convincing talks from club president Richard Hughes, but his exit is now inevitable as his contract is up.
Liverpool managed to offer £65.5m for the 28-year-old, which the club thought was good business. It was therefore decided to draw up a scenario in which 17-year-old Ngumoha, acquired from Chelsea, could see a path to the first team.
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The Reds considered pursuing Lyon’s Malick Fofana, who scored 11 goals in 41 games for France last season, but ultimately decided to look within the club for someone to fill Dias’s void.
The Colombian continues to show his quality in a Bayern side that has won all but two games this season. In the Champions League, Dias scored twice in the defeat of European champions PSG in Paris, making him the second-highest scorer in the Bundesliga-winning team behind Harry Kane, with his second of 11 goals scored this term.
Liverpool are struggling after a successful summer that saw significant changes, particularly up front. The Reds have lost nine of their last 12 games but have made an impressive start to the season. Their five-game winning streak also included a 3-2 victory over Newcastle, which included Ngmoha’s dramatic goal in stoppage time.
Arne Slott said in the aftermath of the moment: “It was a great goal for a 16-year-old. Rio can score great goals for his age. I heard someone say in the dressing room afterwards that he would have had the first touch, but he’s very confident! For his age, he’s a really great finisher.”
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