Michael Owen has claimed that Luis Diaz was ‘meant to be in that red shirt’ of Liverpool after Tottenham Hotspur missed out on his signature in the winter.
It’s probably thanks to Tottenham’s January interest (ESPN) that forced Liverpool to push the boat out early for Diaz and Owen thinks he has been ‘brilliant’ ever since, as he told DAZN.
Those in the Anfield boardroom paid £37 million for his talents (Sky Sports), and within minutes of stepping onto the Liverpool turf, he was winning over the fans.
The lively nature of his game, the ability to get the fans off their seat at any moment and the all-action manner in which he plays is something that has become very likeable about Diaz.
Whilst Tottenham did miss out on Diaz, they still got what they wanted from that window because Dejan Kulusevski was signed up and he has been different gravy for Antonio Conte.
Either way, Diaz is someone former England striker Owen is liking very much, as he shared what he likes about the 25-year-old.
“Inevitable big blow (losing Mane), but this is what happens in football,” said Owen. “Lots of things change. You have to be adaptable.
“Diaz has come in and he is just brilliant. He looks like he was meant to be in that red shirt. The first time he played, I thought ‘wow, that red shirt suits you. The way you play, the way you get up and close people down. You are a team player, then you have magic when you get the ball as well’.
“It’s still a very, very good Liverpool line-up.”
LUIS DIAZ AND DEJAN KULUSEVSKI ARE TWO OUTSTANDING BUYS
It’s not easy getting deals done in January because you are asking someone to come in during the middle of the campaign and have an impact.
Plus, quite a lot of the time, other teams aren’t willing to give up their star players during the middle of a campaign, so it’s less likely you sign the first-team players.
Kulusevski was just that at Juventus, a bench player struggling to make his mark, but Diaz was a full-blown star in Porto colours.
Either way, the impact the duo have made since touching down in England has been nothing short of outstanding.
Both the clubs’ managers – Conte and Klopp – deserve huge credit for the environment they have created, so they can be eased into their new environments to work their magic.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
