Exclusive: Liverpool ready to give £50m ace bumper pay rise to ward off growing Saudi interest | OneFootball

Liverpool are reportedly prepared to push the boat out to try and secure the long-term future of one key player at Anfield over the summer.

With the 2024/25 season almost finished, thoughts are turning to the transfer window and the prospective ins and out on Merseyside, and Richard Hughes’ attention could also be trained on contract renewals for members of Arne Slot’s current squad.

Among those whose future has been the subject of speculation is Luis Diaz, who’s reportedly been attracting interest from Al-Hilal (CaughtOffside), and they’re not the only Saudi Pro League club with designs on luring the 28-year-old to the Middle East.

Liverpool preparing to offer Diaz new contract and bumper pay rise

According to sources close to Empire of the Kop, the Liverpool forward could be the subject of several bids during the summer, with Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr all preparing substantial offers to try and entice him to Saudi Arabia.

The Reds’ number 7 is also wanted by Barcelona, but they’re understood to be taking a more cautious approach in the marketplace given their financial situation.

In order to combat the growing interest in Diaz and reward his fine form this season, Anfield chiefs are ready to offer him a new contract with expectations of a significant pay rise.

That’d surely be to Arne Slot’s liking, with the head coach having been hugely impressed by the £50m Colombia international, whose current deal runs to 2027.

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Diaz earns comparatively little compared to his Liverpool teammates

Liverpool’s plans to tie down the 28-year-old to a new contract tally with the player himself indicating after the 2-2 draw against Arsenal on Sunday that the relevant parties will come together to negotiate over a prospective extension.

Sources vary as to exactly how much Diaz is currently earning – Capology and Spotrac cite his weekly wage at a relatively modest £55,000, whereas Salary Sport list it at a much more substantial £90,000.

Either way, there seems a more than plausible chance that his 17-goal season could be rewarded with a salary increase to take him beyond the £100,000-a-week threshold, not least after the form that he’s shown in recent weeks as he finishes the campaign on a high.

According to Capology, the Colombian is the lowest-paid forward in the Liverpool squad…and yet he’s netted only one goal fewer in this campaign than Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa combined, with that trio all on £140,000 per week or more.

That comparison won’t be lost on Diaz’s representatives, and privately our number 7 might be adamant that he’d be worthy of not just a new contract but also a substantial pay rise in line with his productivity over the past nine months.

With multiple Saudi suitors lurking, it’d definitely be in FSG’s best interests to show proactivity around the 28-year-old’s future and leave him in no doubt as to how highly he’s valued at Anfield.