Luis Diaz is ahead of the pack! Vincent Kompany says ex-Liverpool star 'the most advanced of all' Bayern Munich stars heading into new season

Diaz impressed Kompany with his fitness and focus, playing 76 minutes in Bayern Munich’s 4-0 friendly win over Tottenham. Only Diaz and Manuel Neuer avoided the mass substitutions in the 66th minute, showing the Colombian winger’s readiness. The former Liverpool star consistently pressed high, reflecting his sharpness after joining the squad later in pre-season.

The Bundesliga side signed Diaz from Liverpool for €75 million (£66m/$88m) after weeks of talks, securing their preferred left winger until 2029. His preseason advantage comes from Liverpool’s earlier start to preparations, as the Reds did not take part in the Club World Cup. This allowed Diaz to be three weeks ahead in training compared to his new team-mates, many of whom had shorter breaks.

Praising the Colombian's preparation and professionalism ahead of the new season, Kompany said: "He's the most advanced of all physically and mentally. He had a very good preseason with Liverpool. He was already training three weeks ahead of us."

Speaking about Bayern’s current squad depth and injury situation, Kompany highlighted the importance of fitness, saying: "I've always said: We have so much talent, the most important thing is that the boys are fit. At the moment we're missing Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, [Hiroki] Ito and now – hopefully not for long – [Aleksandar] Pavlovic. We can also make many steps when the boys come back."

The Bavarians face Grasshoppers Zurich in a friendly on Tuesday before meeting Stuttgart in the DFL-Supercup final next Saturday. Diaz is already considered an option for a full 90 minutes, giving Kompany a major boost ahead of the competitive season.

Additional reporting by Tim Ursinus.