Jurgen Klopp won't need to repeat Philippe Coutinho warning to Luis Diaz as Liverpool truth clear
Liverpool would have once feared the lure of La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.
After all, they were helpless to prevent Steve McManaman, Michael Owen and Xabi Alonso from departing to become Galacticos, while Javier Mascherano, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho would all trade Anfield for Camp Nou.
But since the Brazilian joined Barcelona in a club-record £142m switch in January 2018, there has been a power shift at the top of European football. The Premier League has usurped La Liga as the place to be.
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Sure, Real Madrid have twice won the Champions League in the past six years, both coming at Liverpool’s expense, but they are well-aware they are no longer the continent’s moneybags overlords. Meanwhile, Barcelona, while still competing at the top of Spanish football, continue to be a mess financially, making the most of Bosman transfers and buy-back clauses to be a pale imitation of their previous legendary sides.
And while the Reds might not always be able to compete financially with the likes of Real Madrid, having won every major honour under Jurgen Klopp since 2018, they are no longer a European feeder club either.
Consequently, comments from Luis Diaz's father this week regarding his son’s future could have prompted a rather nonchalant response back at Anfield.
“The truth is that I know very little about Barcelona at the moment,” Luis Manuel Diaz told Win Sports, quoted by Noticias RCN, having been rescued from kidnappers earlier this month.
“It is true that Luis is a loyal Barcelona fan and it would be his dream to go there… There
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