Liverpool hit with Luis Diaz contract warning | OneFootball

Liverpool forward Luis Diaz went into the summer transfer window under considerable uncertainty.

An inconsistent performer under Jurgen Klopp, the Colombian winger was linked with a transfer to either Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain.

Competition on the left wing from Cody Gakpo, a compatriot of new head coach Arne Slot, complicated things further.

However, Diaz has started the season in sensational form and is among Liverpool’s top performers this term.

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Diaz grows in stature

His recent hat-trick in the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen emphasised his importance to Slot’s side, and bore evidence of the hard work put in by both player and coach since linking up together.

The 27-year-old has scored nine goals in all competitions, level with Mohamed Salah at the top of the scoring charts.

However, one complicating factor for Diaz - as far as analysis in his home country goes - is the relatively low salary he earns in comparison to his Liverpool teammates and Premier League players at large.

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Diaz '234th' on salary list

It’s reported that Diaz makes around £50,000 per week, far beneath the likes of Salah and Virgil van Dijk, even though Diaz’s contributions have been no less significant this season.

On an Antena 2 program called Palabras Mayores, prominent Colombian football voice Carlos Antonio Velez decried Diaz’s salary, claiming he was only the 234th best-paid player in the English top flight and warned about the possible implications for the Reds down the line.

"He's Liverpool's joint top scorer this season alongside Salah with nine goals. Do you know what that means? Have we put that into context?" he asked.

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'The bar is narrow' for Diaz

"The bar for Lucho is narrow, while for others it's huge,” he stated, using a Colombian phrase meaning his margin of error is small. “Some are praised for things they haven't even done."

Citing a Bolavip report about the top Premier League salaries, he continued: “There's a particular detail with a list published by Bolavip, but it's from a European statistical company about the highest salaries in the Premier League.

“Kevin De Bruyne appears first with €24.7m, then Haaland €23.2m, Casemiro and Salah €21.6m, Raheem Sterling €20.1m, Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford €18.6m, Kai Havertz €17.3m - those are the top nine.

Liverpool under THREAT

"Lucho's salary is 234th,” Velez said. “Lucho earns €2.86m. Today's Liverpool joint-top scorer earns 2.86. NOTHING for European markets. They could easily take him for more money."

It’s believed Diaz would like an improvement on his current terms, which were signed back in January 2022 after he joined from Porto.

Should Liverpool allow the situation to drag out, it could mean the 27-year-old runs down his deal and decides to go elsewhere for more lucrative terms.