Luis Díaz earned just £65,000 a week during his time at Liverpool. But when his representatives pushed for a new contract worth £250,000 a week, the club hesitated – unwilling to raise his wages significantly, sources indicate.
Liverpool’s delay opened the door for Bayern Munich, who arrived with a €75 million offer for the Colombian winger plus the exact £250,000 weekly salary he had requested. The deal was completed, and Díaz departed Anfield.
Behind the scenes, Liverpool’s reasoning was clear: Cody Gakpo, younger and already on the books, was seen as the more sustainable long-term option.
Now comes the twist. Gakpo is currently earning the same £250,000-a-week salary that Liverpool refused to pay Díaz.
The discrepancy has reignited a wider debate about how Premier League clubs value talent from different regions. Critics argue that players from Africa and South America are often systematically undervalued – expected to show gratitude for relatively modest offers while European counterparts command market rates without the same scrutiny.
“It’s as if some clubs assume these players should simply be grateful for whatever they’re offered,” one football finance analyst observed. Others question whether clubs truly account for currency conversion or cost-of-living differences when negotiating with players’ home countries.
Whatever the explanation, the Díaz-Gakpo case has left many asking the same question: if the money was always there, why was it only available for one of them?
