Sergio Conceicao has suggested that Luis Diaz will stay at Porto despite claims linking the Porto winger with a move to Everton in exchange with James Rodriguez, while speaking to O Jogo.
With Rafa Benitez keen to move on from a player he has frozen out once in his career already – the Spaniard and the Colombian endured a rather frosty relationship at Real Madrid – you can see why Everton have reached out to the Primeira Liga giants to inform them of James’ availability (Liverpool Echo).
Rodriguez was a huge hit during his first spell at Porto after all, winning the title in each of his three seasons at the Estadio do Dragao.
Even at the age of 30, a player of his ability and experience would surely dominate the Portuguese footballing landscape, immediately transforming a Porto side who finished five points off top spot last term into title favourites.
Unfortunately, it seems Porto have little interest in giving up their future in order to hark back to the past.
Is a James Rodriguez-Luis Diaz swap deal possible for Everton?
“Luis Díaz and (the similarly exit-linked Mateus) Uribe will play on the 9th of September and the game with Sporting is on the 11th,” says coach Conceicao, suggesting that Diaz will stay beyond next week’s transfer deadline.
“For now, things are very calm. But you never know what might happen until the last day.”
Diaz, like James, is a Colombian international who has made his name at Porto. That is where the similarities end, however, because the former is a jet-heeled winger rather than a pretty-passing play-maker.
With that in mind, Diaz feels like a far better fit for this new-look Everton, especially when you consider that Rafa Benitez appears to be prioritising a rapid-fire, counter-attacking style of football utilising the searing pace of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend.
“I am happy for him,” James said of his young compatriot after Diaz scored four times at this summer’s Copa America.
“We hope he continues on that path. Colombia needs players of that quality and we hope the young people who come, come with that same hunger and a lot of quality.
“Colombia needs that kind of player.”
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