'There's a lot of rumours around him' - Arne Slot confirms Luis Diaz missed Liverpool's pre-season friendly against AC Milan due to Bayern Munich transfer speculation

Liverpool head coach Slot further fuelled the speculation surrounding the immediate future of Diaz, explaining that the left winger was absent from the squad for Saturday's summer friendly against AC Milan in light of rumours linking him with a move to Bayern Munich.

Diaz, who has just two years left on his contract at Anfield, has expressed his desire to leave the club after spending three seasons in the Premier League. Earlier in the window, Barcelona were linked with the forward, but they ultimately decided to sign Marcus Rashford due to financial constraints. Bayern entered the fray, too, and are expected to step up their pursuit in a bid to land the Colombian international. The Bavarians are determined to get Diaz's signing over the line despite seeing their earlier bid worth £59 million (€68m/$79m) being turned down by the Reds. Per reports, the reigning Premier League champions are demanding a fee in the region north of £70m (€80m/$94m).

Speaking to reporters after losing 4-2 to Milan, Slot said: "In Lucho’s situation it was [due to speculation], yeah. There’s a lot of rumours around him lately and I cannot go into that. He’s training really well with us but we have decided for now not to play him yet. I cannot comment much more about that."

It is likely that Liverpool will soften their stance on Diaz's valuation and accept the second bid from Die Roten, who are prepared to offer the 28-year-old a deal that will run until 2029 or 2030. The Reds have already spent close to £300 million (€345m/$402m) this summer, and might have to make sales to balance the books.