Liverpool save £33m on Luis Diaz deal thanks to new transfer chief Julian Ward

Liverpool debut on Sunday as he came off the bench during their 3-1 win over Cardiff in the FA Cup, and he was clearly in awe as he received a warm ovation from the Anfield crowd.But it's not the first time that he's been star-struck this week, as the £37.5million signing was left stunned as he met Liverpool giant Virgil van Dijk.As well as towering over most other people at 6'3", van Dijk has a certain aura that follows him, mainly because he is one of the best centre-backs in the world.

Liverpool cruised past Cardiff into the fifth-round of the FA Cup just five months after he suffered from a horrific dislocated ankle.The former Fulham youngster was stretchered off during the Premier League clash against Leeds back in September, earning a huge cheer from the Anfield crowd after entering the action this weekend.After Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino had put Jurgen Klopp's side 2-0 ahead, Elliott crashed a fine strike past Dillon Phillips before Rubin Colwill's consolation.Although fans were delighted to see January signing Luis Diaz make his first appearance for the club, it was 18-year-old Elliott who drew the most praise on social media.After seeing the winger's raw emotion with his celebration following his first goal for the club, one fan wrote on Twitter: "This kid is going straight to the top."With a second adding: "Great goal that is! Excellent control & finish. He deserved it."A third continued: "Completely changed the game when he came on too, upped the tempo, great movement.

Jurgen Klopp ’s side failed to impress. After a poor first half, Diogo Jota opened the scoring for the Reds in the 53rd minute when he guided his header into the far corner following a free-kick from Trent Alexander-ArnoldTakumi Minamino then doubled the Merseyside teams lead in the 68th minute when January summer signing Luis Diaz, introduced in the second half, stole the ball inside the Cardiff penalty area for the Japanese star to convert with ease.Harvey Elliott then made it three with a super goal, teeing himself up from an Andrew Robertson cross before firing a fierce volley into the far corner.Rubin Colwill gave the Bluebirds supporters something to cheer about in the 80th minute when the 19-year-old broke through the Liverpool defence and smashed the ball past Caiomhin Kelleher.Although the scoreline was convincing, Liverpool weren’t at their very best.

Liverpool, who recently won the race to sign Luis Diaz, have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of another South American talent.Some of the biggest clubs in Europe are monitoring 15-year-old Palmeiras wonderkid, Endrick Filipe. With over 150 goals in just five years representing various Palmeiras youth teams, it’s no wonder the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United have joined Liverpool in keeping tabs on him.

Jurgen Klopp has surprised fans by stating that he is yet to even meet Liverpool’s marquee January signing Luis Diaz despite the Columbian joining almost a week ago.The German boss was speaking in a press conference ahead of his club’s Fourth Round FA Cup encounter against Cardiff City when he admitted to the winger having even not even arrived for training yet."I've not even seen him yet! He hasn't been to the training ground yet," he said."Just a really good sign that we work on all fronts to try to improve this team. We have to be successful now and in the future."“If we was immediately at his best then it would be really strange.

Liverpool has been savaged after the Colombian left the pitch in tears with his nation's World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.The winger was involved in one of the biggest deals of the January transfer window, moving from Porto to the Reds on a five-year contract in a £50million transfer.However, while the 26-year-old was delighted to have joined Jurgen Klopp's ranks, he endured contrasting emotions while on international duty this week.Diaz's Colombia were dealt a double blow to their fragile hopes of World Cup qualification as they suffered back-to-back 1-0 defeats to Peru and Argentina.With Los Cafeteros needing a minor miracle to now make Qatar 2022 later this year, the emotion was reportedly all too much for Liverpool's new star signing who left the pitch in tears following the second of those losses.A devastated Diaz then reportedly abandoned his international colleagues, who headed to the airport together, in order to take a chartered flight to England to meet his new Liverpool team-mates, according to RCN.More misery was to follow however, as, having failed to inspire his nation across the two crucial qualifiers, Diaz found himself on the receiving end of some harsh criticism from former Argentina national team manager Alfio Basile.Will Luis Diaz be a success at Liverpool? Let us know what you think in the comments section below...“That Diaz who Liverpool bought… I didn’t see him do anything against Peru or Argentina.

Liverpool.Diaz joined the Reds on Sunday in a deal worth around £37million, bringing a near-three year stay in Portugal to an end.The Colombian had starred for Porto this season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions this season to help them cement their place at the top of the Primeira Liga, without losing a game.That form attracted the interest of Jurgen Klopp, who made a successful move for him last week to steal the winger from under the noses of Premier League rivals Tottenham.Porto have replaced Diaz in part with the deadline day signing of Galerno from SC Braga, though Conceicao remains unhappy at the decision to sanction the sale of his star attacker.The Portuguese boss believes that Diaz’s departure will make it far more difficult for his side to achieve their objectives for the season.“In big companies and big clubs, planning is done according to the objectives,” Conceicao told Sport TV.“When there is little or no planning, we have to review the goals and think about the near future.Will Luis Diaz be a success at Liverpool? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section...“I’m demanding and, at the moment, the truth is that it’s more difficult, but it’s part of my job to find solutions.“It’s looking to the future and realising that our goals may become more difficult to achieve.”Conceicao also admitted that he has been placed in a “difficult situation” and hinted at his displeasure that financial reward had been placed ahead of winning trophies.“We’re talking about four important players who have left in recent years, including Luis Díaz, who were among the best players in the league in recent years and had their weight in the team,” he said.Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?Well

The January transfer window slammed shut at 11pm last night for English clubs across the Premier League and EFL.

Deadline day has now been and gone, the January transfer window is now closed.

Liverpool who have made the most expensive signing this window with Colombia winger Luis Diaz making the move to Anfield from Porto in a deal worth £37.5million - with another £12.5million in potential bonuses.The likes of Manchester City,Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have been quiet so far this window but all of that can change on deadline day, with some brilliant deals being done already.Newcastle have been extremely busy on the market and hope to see at least three players over the line by 11pm today.Burnley have completed the signing of a highly-rated target man - and even Jermain Defoe looks to be making a return to English football with an emotional return to Sunderland.But surely the best move so far for all football fans is seeing the return of Christian Eriksen, who has signed for Brentford as a free agent until the end of the season with the option of an additional year.There's still some time to go - but the clock is ticking. Here are some of the deals that have come to fruition so far.

Premier League offers a degree of leniency when it comes to transfer deadline day.As clubs scrabble on the final day to try and get their deals over the line before 11pm, the league offers a ‘deal sheet’ which allows for more time to get the deal done.If a club has concluded a deal for a player at the last minute they can use this sheet to get additional time to fulfil the remaining documentation.The Premier League’s website says: “For a deadline of 23:00, the deal sheet cannot be used before 21:00 and needs to arrive fully completed before the transfer window closes.“Once the sheet arrives, clubs have got another two hours, or until 01:00, in which to submit the full paperwork.”After the window slams shut, clubs from the Premier League and EFL can only sign players on anMeanwhile, in Scotland, the window will stay open until midnight, so deals can be done after this point.Across the rest of Europe, the January transfer window will close at - in GMT time - at 5pm in Germany, 7pm, in Italy, while it will it's 11pm in Spain and France.Indeed, clubs can submit a ‘deal sheet’ in the final two hours of the window if they feel they are tight on time. The biggest signing of the window so far is Liverpool’s purchase of Luis Diaz from Porto.The winger was also being chased by Tottenham, but the Reds gazumped them in their bid to sign him at the last minute."I'm very happy to sign for Liverpool," the Columbian international said on Sunday following the announcement.Diaz requires a work permit and is unlikely to arrive in Liverpool until the end of next week at the earliest.Which has had the best window? Tell us in the comments section.Jurgen Klopp also spoke of his delight of the signing.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is said to have 'threatened to report' Liverpool's recruitment team after he was beaten to an agreement with Porto over a £37.5million transfer.The 25-year-old forward moved to Anfield on a five-year deal earlier this week ahead of Monday's transfer deadline in a huge blow for Antonio Conte and Spurs.Levy is said to have been left furious after being "backdoored" to a transfer for the Colombia winger, who has scored 16 goals from just 28 appearances so far this season.That move leaves Tottenham in a tricky position on the final day of the window, with unsettled boss Conte in desperate need of new talent.The Telegraph reports details of Levy's alleged fury, saying that the Spurs chairman 'threatened to report Liverpool's recruitment team to the club's owners'.However, the flaw in that plan would've been that Fenway owners John W Henry and Mike Gordon were 'delighted' with the way in which the transfer was reached.Jurgen Klopp is said to have identified Diaz as his first-choice recruit back in 2021, with the club saying that would meet Porto chiefs in January to find an agreement.Spurs chief Levy is said to have found out about the Liverpool progress on Thursday, at which point there was 'precious little' he could've done to get his own plans back on track.Will Luis Diaz fire Liverpool to a major trophy this season? Give us your verdict in the comments sectionKlopp told the club website when the deal was confirmed: “I could not be happier that we’ve been able to get this deal done and bring Luis to Liverpool."I have always been a believer in only signing players in January if you would want to sign them in the summer, and that’s very much the case with Luis."He is an outstanding player and

Liverpool have confirmed star signing Luis Diaz will don the club's iconic number 23 shirt, but he will be hoping to fare far better than his predecessor.The Colombian completed his eagerly anticipated five-and-a-half year move to Anfield on Sunday in a deal worth up to £50million, joining from Porto.The Reds announced the winger will wear the number 23 on his back - a shirt made famous by the likes of Liverpool legends Robbie Fowler and Jamie Carragher.And Jurgen Klopp's new recruit will be hoping to leave a legacy similar to those club icons as opposed to that of the shirt's most recent owner: Xherdan Shaqiri.Though the Swiss midfielder was a fine player in his own right, he ultimately failed to recapture his best form at Anfield and the level of performances which saw him previously star for Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.After suffering Premier League relegation with Stoke back in 2018, Shaqiri was snapped up by Liverpool with the Reds paying out £13m to trigger his release clause.The move was considered a shrewd piece of business by Klopp at the time, but the winger ultimately endured an unspectacular stint on Merseyside before departing for Lyon last summer after finding first-team opportunities limited.HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Luis Diaz be a success at Liverpool? Comment below.Shaqiri established himself as a squad player with the Reds, used sparingly from the bench as Liverpool's prestigious front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino kept his minutes to a minimum.The Swiss star's fortunes should act as a warning sign for Diaz who will be accustomed to being the main man having emerged as the Portuguese side's top scorer and talisman in the first half of this season, netting 16 strikes in 28

A former assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson has compared new Liverpool signing Luis Diaz to Manchester United great Cristiano Ronaldo.

Luis Diaz has been pictured in a Liverpool shirt for the first time after completing his medical. Diaz, 25, is close to sealing a move to Anfield after the Reds beat Tottenham to his signature.On Thursday, it looked as though the Colombian star would be on his way to north London.Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy had agreed a fee with Porto before Liverpool caught wind of the deal, as per The Telegraph. The Reds made their move and reached an agreement with the Portuguese giants to leave Levy and Spurs high and dry.

But he needs to be starting regularly in the league and is now considering his options. Williams obviously faces the impossible task of displacing Trent Alexander-Arnold in Klopp’s first team at Liverpool.So unless the England international gets injured he is only likely to play FA Cup games for the Reds in the second half of the season.Promotion-chasing Bournemouth are one of Williams’ admirers and are looking to bolster their squad as they chase a top two finish in the Championship.Liverpool are understood to be weighing up the approach and have yet to decide.They don’t want to be left short in defence should any injuries occur as they are challenging for trophies on four fronts.

Manchester United's January transfer window has been quiet so far, with Ralf Rangnick seemingly getting to know his new squad before turning his attention to incomings from elsewhere.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy with jibes about a ‘typical Spurs’ transfer window after a number of failures this month.Antonio Conte has been left increasingly frustrated, with Tottenham still yet to make a signing this January, despite the squad being in clear need of an upgrade.The Italian had wanted to bring in Adama Traore from Wolves, with the plan being to turn him into a right wing-back, though Barcelona now look set to have sealed his signature instead.With that deal having failed, Conte has also been hit by another blow, with Liverpool making a shock move for prime Spurs target Luis Diaz.The combination of those failures has left Conte and Spurs fans incensed at the club’s poor business.With reports emerging that Conte could depart if no signings are made this month, it appears that Tottenham are no panicking.That has led them to launch a move for Juventus outcast Dejan Kulusevski on loan deal until the end of the season.Kulusevski has been unable to find a place in the Juve line-up since joining from Parma, starting just three times this season.Would Dejan Kulusevski be a good signing for Tottenham? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section...With frustrations mounting over a lack of any real progress on the transfer front, Spurs are hoping to finally make their first signing of the winter.But the inaction at the club has led to many taking to social media to mock Levy and the other members of Tottenham’s hierarchy.“So typical of Spurs, wasted months negotiating for Traoré who is now at Barca and now Luís Diaz. Lol,” one fan tweeted.“Typical spurs.

Liverpool could make room for Porto prospect Luis Diaz by sanctioning the sales of a cult hero and a promising international before transfer deadline day on Monday.Jurgen Klopp has been open about the club's shrewd business plan throughout his time at Anfield, and the ongoing January window is not an exception.With the deal for the incoming 25-year-old set to cost an initial £37.5million, they could recoup a large chunk of those funds with outgoing deals for Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino.Origi, who is a cult hero among fans for his Champions League heroics of their 2018/19 triumph, could be joined in leaving Merseyside by Japan international Minamino.The Athletic reports that permanent offers for both Origi and Minamino will be considered this month.Belgium international Origi has scored 40 goals for the club across 167 appearances since his £10million move from Lille back in July of 2014.Minamino, who had a positive loan spell at Southampton last season, only joined the club from Red Bull Salzburg in 2020, scoring 10 goals across 49 outings.Will Luis Diaz fire Liverpool to a major trophy? Give us your thoughts in the comments sectionThe report adds that Leeds United and Monaco have inquired about Minamino, who has been valued at around £20million following his arrival for £7.25million.In addition, Liverpool could also raise funds by selling central defender Nat Phillips, who they value at around £15million, having turned down £7million from Watford.Klopp spoke about his transfer plans for January back in December, and admitted that their Covid and vaccination status could have an impact on potential moves.He said: "I got this question asked in the last press conference and didn’t think about it to be honest."It was

Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Porto forward Luis Diaz as Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his playing squad - and fans will love his humble nature.The 25-year-old, who came through the ranks at Barranquilla and Junior in Columbia before moving to Portugal in 2019, was raised right next to the Venezuela border in the indigenous Wayuu community.It was in 2015 that he was called up to represent Columbia at the Copa America of Indigenous People, a tournament where he caught the eye of footballing icon Carlos Valderrama.Coaching that side was former Colombia international John 'Pocillo' Diaz, who spoke about the most humble member of their playing squad back in November of 2021.He told BBC Sport: "The competition would be held in Chile so we took a five-hour flight there and you could see his eyes light up with that experience."Lucho would ask us if he could have the same meal more than once.

Prior to the international break, the door to an unlikely Premier League title race was left slightly ajar and now Liverpool are looking to smash it open.