FC Porto have slapped a whopping £80 million price tag for the services of Chelsea and Newcastle United target Luis Diaz.
According to Calciomercato, Chelsea and Newcastle United have been dealt with a massive blow in their pursuit of Luis Diaz. The emerging Colombian winger has become one of the hottest properties in the transfer market, owing to his breakthrough at both club and international levels.
However, his employers, FC Porto, have recently poured cold water over his hope of moving to a bigger club by slapping an £80 million price tag on the player. They are holding out for such a high fee to fend off suitors like Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Everton, who were linked with a move earlier in the season.
It is a disappointing prospect for all the interested parties, as Diaz is indeed one of the most in-demand South American players playing in Europe at the moment.
Although the former Junior FC winger was a key member of the Porto forward line for the past two years, Diaz’s big breakthrough came in the summer. He was the face of the Colombia side that reached all the way to the semi-final of the Copa America 2021, only to be beaten by eventual champions Argentina on penalty shootout.
Diaz’s four goals made him the tournament’s joint top-scorer alongside Lionel Messi. Such a fine Copa America campaign did a whole lot of good to the player’s confidence heading into the new season, and the results couldn’t have been more fruitful.
In just nine league matches, the Colombian international has already netted six goals so far. It means Diaz has already matched his goalscoring tally in each of the past two seasons. His contributions in front of goal have been crucial in helping FC Porto remain in the race for the Primeira Liga title this season.
However, with the Dragons holding out for a fee of £80 million, it won’t be surprising to see clubs like Chelsea and Newcastle United turn to other alternatives. They have no shortage of options either, with NUFC, in particular, being linked with a move for a plethora of talented attacking players across Europe recently, including Wolves ace Adama Traore.
