Luis Diaz completes £65million move to Bayern Munich from Liverpool

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Colombia forward Luis Diaz from Liverpool on a four-year deal.

A fee which the PA news agency understands to be £65million was agreed on Sunday after the Bundesliga champions returned with an offer closer to what the Anfield club consider the market value for the 28-year-old.

Diaz was given permission to leave the Premier League champions and on Monday he departed Tokyo, where the team are preparing for Wednesday’s match against Yokohama F Marinos, for Germany.

The player had been pushing for a move since last summer and, after two failed attempts to agree an extension to the two years he had remaining on his contract, Liverpool reluctantly accepted his departure was inevitable.

“I’m very happy, it means a lot to me to be part of FC Bayern – it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world,” Diaz told Bayern’s website.

“I want to help my new team with my way of playing football and my personality. My goal is to win every possible title, and that’s what we’ll work for every day as a team.”

The move brings to an end a three-and-a-half-year stay on Merseyside during which Diaz scored 41 goals in 148 matches, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and two Carabao Cups.

He previously played for Porto, from whom Liverpool signed him in 2022 for £37.5m plus add-ons, scoring 41 times in 125 appearances for the Portuguese side.

In a farewell post to Liverpool fans on Instagram, Diaz reflected that it would have been the “perfect goodbye” had it not been for the tragic death of team-mate Diogo Jota in a car crash in Spain earlier this month.

He wrote: “Three years and a half that I’ll treasure forever. I arrived with all the dreams in the world, and I am leaving proud of everything we achieved together.

“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. The cycle ends here, and it is so gratifying to look back and realise how happy we were.

“Not only because of the trophies we won, but for the union and friendship that made it all possible. There were ups and downs, as there always are, but there was always truth. As it should be in a family.

“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.

“As I said, and I repeat, I carry everyone with me in my heart, but one of them in particular: Diogo (Jota). I will never forget him. We will never forget him. Thank you for everything. YNWA.”

Jota showed his support for Diaz when the Colombian’s father was kidnapped in October 2023, holding up a shirt bearing his team-mate’s name after scoring in a win over Nottingham Forest at Anfield.

Diaz’s father was kidnapped in his hometown of Barrancas by rebels and held hostage for 12 days, before being released unharmed.

During the ordeal, the winger came off the bench to score a stoppage-time equaliser for Liverpool in a 1-1 draw away against Luton.

Bayern’s sporting director Christoph Freund said of his team’s new signing: “Luis creates a real goal threat and is a scorer, and at the same time he works incredibly hard for his team. He is a fast, versatile footballer and brings an intense style of play to the pitch.

“He has also gained a lot of experience at the top level with Liverpool and the Colombia national team. Luis Diaz represents a complete package that will thrill our fans.”

Hugo Ekitike’s arrival at Liverpool last week means the Reds have already bolstered their attacking options and they maintain an interest in Newcastle’s wantaway striker Alexander Isak.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said: “This is also who we are as a club. We are making big signings but this club also needs to recoup funds to get these transfers that we already did over the line.

“It has been a summer where we’ve spent a lot but I think if people look at all the money we’ve already brought in, that’s also – like last year when we almost only sold players – a good thing for this club as well.”