Transferred to Liverpool on Sunday, Luis Diaz comes from afar. Seven years ago, he played in the Copa America of the indigenous peoples before being spotted by Carlos Valderrama, the Colombian legend.
This is called a high-speed ascent. This Sunday, Luis Diaz (25) signed up with Liverpool for an amount of around 60 million euros, bonus included. A hell of a poker game for the Colombian international (32 caps), unknown in the world of football three years ago. Because before revealing himself in Porto, Luis Diaz took a long time to break through. In 2015, the player from the Wayuu Amerindian people played in the Copa America of indigenous peoples under the colors of Colombia. The native of Barrancas, one of the poorest areas of the country, scored two goals and was the captain of the selection.
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Recommended in Porto by Falcao James Rodriguez
During this tournament, he then crossed paths with a certain Carlos Valderrama, legend of the Cafeteros (111 selections) and made his professional debut in Barranquilla, in Colombian D2. Transferred to Atlético Junior in 2017, he remains only two years (20 goals in 106 games) before flying to Europe and FC Porto against an envelope of 7 million euros. A transfer recommended by his compatriots Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez, as well as Carlos Quieroz, the former coach of Colombia.
At Porto, he quickly made his goalscoring qualities known since he was the club’s top scorer this season (14 goals in 18 games) and stood out last season by scoring an exceptional goal alone at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City in the Champions League. Luis Diaz therefore reinforces the attacking sector of the Reds, for the moment amputated by Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah (CAN).
His arrival was also appreciated by Jürgen Klopp, who is full of praise for his new player. “When we played against Luis earlier this season (in C1, editor’s note), we saw the danger he could be, how fast he was and his state of mind was to help his team. We believe he has everything he needs to adapt to our team and the Premier League, both physically and mentally,” the German manager told the club’s website. The Reds must face Inter Milan in the knockout stages of the Champions League (first leg on February 16, return on March 8).
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