Bayern Munich have said their negotiations with Liverpool were “a great achievement” and “a lot of fun” after making Luis Diaz their third signing of the summer transfer window for a fee of £65.5m.
The Colombia winger arrived on Wednesday, calling his footballing journey “wonderful” and adding that there is still “much to do and achieve”.
“He has just the profile we were looking for in a winger,” said Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund.
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Why have Bayern signed Luis Diaz?
Diaz will help fill the void left by Thomas Muller, the veteran who made his final appearance for Bayern this month at the Club World Cup as his 25-year association with the club came to an end.
“He played 50 games for Liverpool last season and 51 the season before,” said Dreesen. “He had the second most games after [top scorer Mohamed] Salah last season.
“He was an absolute starter for them. He scores goals and assists them, he’ll help us a lot in that regard. He not only plays on the wing, but also as a striker.
“No matter where he’s played or what club he’s been at, he’s always won silverware. Anyone who succeeds in the Premier League and wins titles at Liverpool knows how it’s done.
“It’s something the Bundesliga can look forward to – a real top left-winger who is actually capable of playing in the centre and on the opposite flank.”
Bayern: Liverpool negotiations ‘achievement’
Diaz’s departure is also seen as key to Liverpool’s potential plans to make a British-record move for Newcastle forward Alexander Isak.
Isak has told Newcastle of his desire to explore opportunities to leave St James’ Park. The Sweden international scored 27 goals in all competitions last season, including the second goal at Wembley Stadium in the 2-1 EFL Cup final win over Liverpool to secure the Magpies’ first domestic major trophy for 70 years.
Newcastle are thought to want a starting bid of £150m for Isak and have said he is not for sale, although the 25-year-old is yet to feature in their pre-season schedule.
“The negotiations with Liverpool… were a really great achievement,” Bayern director of sport Max Eberl told the club website.
“We’re extremely happy to have realised all of this. It was also a lot of fun and that’s why we’re really looking forward to a future with Luis.
“We’ve already experienced how happy he is to be here. He comes with an incredible amount of dribbling ability, one-on-one skills, pace to go deep, goals and assists.
“In other words, he brings everything to the table you would expect in an attacking role. “
Luis Diaz Liverpool record
Diaz’s move ends a three-and-a-half-year spell at Liverpool in which he won last season’s Premier League, the FA Cup and EFL Cup in 2021/22 and the latter competition again in 2023/24.
He started the 2021/2022 Champions League final as the Reds lost 1-0 to Real Madrid at the Stade de France.
The forward scored 41 goals in 148 games, including 17 goals and five assists in 50 appearances last season, and will hope to have a similar impact for the Bundesliga holders.
Liverpool may replace Diaz with Real Madrid’s Rodrygo Goes, who has been heavily linked with a move to Anfield.
Luis Diaz stats
Nicknamed Luchito, Luis Diaz started his career at Colombian club Atletico Junior and returned there to become a senior player following a period at Barranquilla.
Following a switch to Porto in 2019, he won the Portuguese title twice and the Portuguese Cup once, as well as sharing the Golden Boot at the 2021 Copa America, helping Colombia reach the final.
Liverpool signed him in January 2022 for an initial £37.5m. He has scored their first league goal at Anfield in each of the past three seasons, including the first home goal of Slot’s reign in a 2-0 win over Brentford last August.
“He’s very, very quick,” observed Dreesen. “He’s a very, very active and intense team worker who puts in a lot of legwork.
“Very importantly, he racks up a lot of scorer points and knows where the goal is. He loves playing football, he loves scoring goals, he loves mesmerising the fans.
“We can look forward to a really, really good footballer who will passionately give his all.”
Bayern Munich transfers 2025/26
As they prepare to defend their Bundesliga title in Kompany’s second season in charge, Bayern have already added Germany newcomer Tom Bischof from Hoffenheim on a free transfer.
Bischof, 20, can play in central midfield or on the right and has been joined by Mannschaft centre-back Jonathan Tah, who has also cost nothing after ending his 10-year stay at Bayer Leverkusen.
Liverpool transfers 2025/26
Midfielder Florian Wirtz has joined from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee that could rise to a British-record £116 million, while wideman Jeremie Frimpong signed from Leverkusen for £29.5m in May.
Striker Hugo Ekitike signed from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69m but was not part of Liverpool’s matchday squad for their 4-2 defeat against Milan in Singapore on Saturday.
Defender Milos Kerkez – a £40m signing from Bournemouth – impressed Slot in that game, but Giorgi Mamardashvili, who cost £25m from Valencia in 2024 and spent last season at the Spanish club, made an error for the Rossoneri’s fourth goal.
Hungary Under-21 international Armin Pecsi has also arrived from Puskas Akademia for £1.5m and fellow goalkeeper Freddie Woodman has signed from Preston North End on a free transfer.
When does Bayern’s 2025/26 Bundesliga season start?
The first round of Bundesliga games in 2025/26 will be on the weekend of August 23 2025, with Bayern starting the action at home to Leipzig on Friday, August 22 at 19:30 BST (14:30 ET / 11:30 PT).
When does Liverpool’s 2025/26 Premier League season start?
The first round of Premier League matches in 2025/26 will be on the weekend of August 16 2025, with Liverpool starting the action at home to Bournemouth on Friday, August 15 at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT).
The game against one of the surprise packages of 2024/25 is being shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League, Ultra and Main Event.
The last round of matches this season will all start at the same time on May 24 2026. No rounds will take place within 60 hours of each other and there will be no fixture on December 24.
