Liverpool risk Trent Alexander-Arnold repeat after denying Barcelona bid for key player

Liverpool could be risking a repeat of the Trent Alexander-Arnold situation after reportedly rejecting FC Barcelona's approach for one of their key players.

Alexander-Arnold, who spent 20 years at his boyhood club, recently left the Premier League champions to join Real Madrid.

He was originally set to join the Spanish giants on a free transfer when his contract expired at the end of June.

But Real Madrid have instead decided to pay Liverpool £10m to sign the right-back ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.

And Liverpool may find themselves in a similar position again with Luis Diaz.

According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, the Barcelona made an approach to sign the Colombian winger, but received an 'unequivocal' response, with Arne Slot not wanting to lose a key player.

Diaz's contract expires in the summer of 2027, but there he is not currently an expectation that he will sign an extension.

It could leave Liverpool in a similar position to earlier this season when they were set to lose three key players for free. Both their captain Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah signed extensions, but Alexander-Arnold left the club.

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Why do Barcelona want to sign Luis Diaz?

The Colombian moved to Liverpool from Porto in January 2022, with the deal worth an initial €45m (£37.5m), rising to €60m (£50m) with add-ons.

Since arriving at Anfield, the 28-year-old has made 148 appearances, scoring 41 goals and providing 23 assists across all competitions. He has played a key role in Liverpool's success during that period.

Diaz helped Liverpool win the Carabao Cup in 2022 and again in 2024, followed by an FA Cup triumph later that year.

Last season, he was instrumental as Liverpool won the Premier League title by an impressive 10 point margin over second-placed Arsenal.

He made a fantastic start to the campaign, with his standout performance at Old Trafford, where he bagged a brace in a 3-0 dismantling of Manchester United, which proved to be an early display of Liverpool's title credentials.

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Diaz then scored his first Liverpool hat trick in a 4-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

He ended the season as Liverpool's second highest scorer in the league, with 13 goals, albeit some way behind Salah's 29.

Predominantly used on the left of a front three, Diaz has demonstrated his versatility under Slot, who has deployed him as a striker at times.

The Colombian has also been the subject of transfer speculation in the past.

Manchester City were heavily linked last summer, whilst Saudi Arabian clubs reportedly still hold an interest in the attacker.