Liverpool boss Arne Slot responds to Luis Diaz to Barcelona links amid Deco comments | OneFootball

Arne Slot suggested he wants to keep Luis Diaz at Liverpool amid interest from La Liga champions Barcelona.

Speaking to Catalan radio station RAC1, Barca sporting director Deco revealed: “We like Luis [Diaz], we like [Marcus] Rashford, and we like other players.

“When we go to the market, there are names that we know and that could improve the team.”

And in response to those comments, the Liverpool boss joked that he is an admirer of Barcelona’s forwards too, and praised Diaz.

“Did Deco say this about Diaz in the microphone or is that from hearsay?” Slot asked. “Yes, every club has his own way of doing things. I don’t talk about players from other clubs.

“I understand he is a big admirer of Lucho Diaz. I am a big admirer of him as well. He is a great player and had a great season. I admire Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.”

Liverpool will lift the Premier League trophy at Anfield on Sunday when they take on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, but Slot has sent a warning to his players ahead of the game and next season.

“I think we have a lot to compete next season again but what I don’t know yet, and that’s going to be the interesting one, is if we have this elite mentality, this serial winner mentality of showing up season after season after season,” he said.

“I get the answer on July 8 when we come back, seeing what shape the players are in. Many teams have won the Premier League once but not many years in a row and that’s for a reason.

“That is because it is so difficult but also the elite mentality. When I talk about Mo Salah, it’s not a coincidence that for so many years, he is on a certain level and last season, he was the one who was most fit when we arrived back after the break.

“That is the mentality you need to have to have to have a chance of becoming a serial winner. The first day for me to judge if we can be serial winners is on July 8 when I see them back.

“I can only tell you what I did [to improve the players] and I am quite sure 99.9 or 100% Jurgen did the same things but maybe at a certain moment players get used to what you say so we try to inspire them and always try to let the team play better together and as a result the individual looks better.

“There are many similarities between the two but it would be a surprise if every meeting was exactly the same. So maybe it is a new face, not better or worse just worse that lifted them a bit, not a lot because Virgil, Mo, Trent have been outstanding for years here.”