Luis Diaz is now among the best wingers in the world. He scored at the Bernabeu in the Champions League quarter-final, helped Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga. And just two nights ago he again had an instrumental display against PSG in what was, quite possibly, the wildest Champions League semi-final ever.
Barcelona had three opportunities to sign him. They failed to make even one count.
Three times and three times they failed.
When he was at Porto, scouts from Barcelona watched him extensively, but they did not move for the player because, according to them, he was too inconsistent. He was great most of the times, but not over a season. It was a spectacular misjudgement.
In summer 2023, Barcelona considered a move for the player but they could not get it done because they had no money in the window and couldn't move for a big player like Diaz. It was not because they didn't want him but simply because they did not have the funds to bring him in.
Last summer, Barcelona listed him as Deco’s top target for left wing position. Although he was the first choice, Luis Diaz moved to Bayern Munich for £70m from Liverpool. Barcelona once again found themselves priced out, and ultimately moved for Marcus Rashford on loan.
Diaz confirmed the reports himself: "Yes, there were conversations with Barcelona, that's true. But I made an objective decision for my career and for my future. I'm very happy at Bayern."
What Barcelona missed out on
At the Parc des Princes for the first-leg of the Champions League semi-final against PSG, Diaz was excellent from the first minute to the last. He earned Bayern their opener when he got beyond Willian Pacho for the second time in two minutes and won a penalty.
He forced Marquinhos into an early booking; and scored their fourth goal late in the second half with a stunning finish to bring it back to 5-4.
The Colombian's brilliance shone through as he took down a sublime long ball from Harry Kane, cut inside on his right foot and unleashed an unstoppable strike past Safonov into the top corner. it was him who kept Bayern alive in the tie.
The finish kept Bayern’s hopes alive in the highest-scoring Champions League semi-final ever, with the tie perfectly poised for the second leg.
And this is who Barcelona decided was not consistent enough at Porto.
Earlier in the season, Diaz scored a hat-trick against Hoffenheim, the opener in the 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, and captained Bayern to their 35th Bundesliga title.
His Father said it all:
It has been well reported that, "Luis is a fan of Barcelona," stated his father. "He has always admired them, and the move would have been his dream."
These sentiments appear to have been shared by the club's leadership, though financial constraints proved to be insurmountable.
The big picture
The miss at Porto was a lack of foresight. The miss of 2023 was an inability to act due to financial constraint. The miss of last summer was being outgunned by a club with more firepower available.
The player Barcelona ruled out as inconsistent now decides Champions League semi-finals. And this summer, Barcelona are back in the market for a left winger.
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