Reports linking Porto winger Luis Diaz with Barcelona, Everton and Leeds United come as no surprise to legendary manager Oscar Tabarez, speaking to O Jogo.
While no-one is suggesting Diaz was an unknown quantity heading into last summer’s Copa America – he had been tipped to join Tottenham Hotspur last year after all – the quicksilver Colombian did his reputation no harm at all on Brazilian soil.
Diaz finished as joint-top scorer in the tournament alongside the ageless Lionel Messi, scoring four times in six games as Colombia secured third place.
The 24-year-old has hardly been out of the headlines since, with Barcelona and others reported to have expressed an interest.
How on earth Barca plan to sign a player who has a £68 million release clause in his contract considering they can’t even afford to put Ronald Koeman out of his misery, is anyone’s guess.
Everton and Leeds target Diaz on the ‘elite’s radar’
According to Portuguese publication Correio da Manha, Everton launched a £25 million bid for Diaz in the summer only for the deal to fall apart due to Porto’s reluctance to take James Rodriguez in exchange.
“Colombia has players of great quality and experience, like (Juventus winger Juan) Cuadrado,” says 74-year-old Tabarez, whose Uruguay side faces Los Cafeteros in a World Cup qualifier on Friday.
“In addition, they have good strikers and new players have been appearing recently, like this kid Luis Diaz from FC Porto.
“He wasn’t on the elite’s radar but, after the Copa America he produced, he is now.”
According to Record, Leeds United enquired about Diaz too before completing a deadline-day deal for Danny James, finally uniting Marcelo Bielsa with a player he famously missed out on 18 months earlier.
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