Barcelona fear Liverpool will ask a fortune for top attacking target after key purchase

Barcelona fear Liverpool will ask a fortune for top attacking target after key purchase
Liverpool appear to be on the verge of securing the services of Florian Wirtz, who is set to join from Bayer Leverkusen on a big-money move.
Wirtz will easily become the biggest purchase in Liverpool's history, which may even have a trickle-down effect on the club's transfer activity this summer.
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At least that is what Barcelona think.
Barcelona's fear about Luis Diaz
According to Victor Navarro, Barcelona fear that Liverpool may ask for a fortune for Luis Diaz after paying a hefty fee for Wirtz.
The club, though, have set a strict boundary and are not expected to pay more than €60 million for the winger.
Barcelona, therefore, will not entertain any move for the Colombian international if Liverpool ask for anywhere between €65-80 million.
Barcelona face a tricky situation with regards to the Luis Diaz pursuit (Photo by)
This comes on the back of earlier reports which claimed that Luis Diaz, despite being Deco's favourite, has been overtaken by Nico Williams as Barcelona's top target.
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The Catalans are, in fact, looking at potential solutions that will allow them to meet the Spaniard's €62 million release clause at Athletic Club.
Barcelona, though, do have an advantage should they go after Luis Diaz instead. Unlike Nico, they can afford to pay for the Colombian through various instalments.
Not to mention, the Nico deal does seem all too sudden, with many in the Barcelona camp even raising concerns over the club's pursuit of the Spaniard.
Nico's close proximity to Lamine Yamal and other Barcelona players could be a major risk factor, though it appears Joan Laporta is ready to overlook the issue and sign the player regardless.

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10 most expensive transfers in soccer history: Where does Florian Wirtz rank?

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Pegged as the perfect replacement for club legend Andres Iniesta, Philippe Coutinho transferred to Barcelona from Liverpool for a fee of $145 million in 2018. What followed was the nightmare scenario for Barcelona. Coutinho, Barcelona's most expensive player of all time, played only one full season for the club before he was loaned out to FC Bayern before the start of his third season. Coutinho returned to Barcelona for the 2020-21 season, but a season-ending knee injury limited him to just 14 appearances in all competitions. In January 2022, Coutinho transferred to Premier League club Aston Villa for $26 million. Coutinho ended his Barcelona career with 25 goals and 14 assists in 106 appearances with Barcelona. With Liverpool, he had 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances. 4. Moises Caicedo: $146 million The Ecuador midfielder's move was previously the most expensive deal by a British club, with Chelsea buying him from Brighton in August 2023, before Liverpool purchased Florian Wirtz. Caicedo appeared in 38 matches for Chelsea this past season, helping the team keep 11 clean sheets while finishing fourth in the English Premier League. 3. Florian Wirtz: $156 million (if add-ons achieved) Wirtz is one of the brightest young stars in world soccer. As a 20-year-old, he had 11 goals and 11 assists in 32 matches as he helped Bayer Leverkusen win its first Bundesliga league title. He followed that up with a 10-goal, 12-assist season as Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga and also made it to the Knockout Stage of the UEFA Champions League. Because of the lofty price tag, Wirtz will have loads of pressure on him when he arrives at Liverpool and slots in next to Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in The Reds' midfield. 2. Kylian Mbappe: $194 million In hindsight, $194 million feels like a steal for a player of Kylian Mbappe's caliber. Though the 24-year-old did not win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, he brought a record five consecutive Ligue 1 titles and eight domestic cups to the club since joining them from Monaco in 2017. He was also named Ligue 1 Player of the Year four times as a PSG player. In March of 2023, Mbappe passed Edinson Cavani's to become PSG's all-time leading goalscorer, and he did it in 54 fewer games. After seven seasons with PSG, Mbappe transferred to Real Madrid. 1. Neymar: $239 million It was always going to be difficult for Neymar to live up to the $239 million price tag that PSG paid Barcelona for his talents in 2017, but injuries made it even harder for him to justify it. He wasn't able to bring PSG its Champions League victory. Still, he had an outstanding career with the club, recording 118 goals and 77 assists in 173 appearances, and winning 13 trophies in six years. FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Kylian Mbappe Paris SG Ligue 1 recommended Get more from FIFA Men's World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

San Francisco Chronicle​

an hour ago

• San Francisco Chronicle​

Florian Wirtz joins list of most expensive soccer signings in history

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