No matter how Bayern Munich tries to turn around in the coming days, Luis Diaz is certainly not their first choice.
After failing to sign Florian Wirtz, their number one transfer target, Bayern were forced to change direction and look for alternatives. Names such as Nico Williams, Rafael Leao and Bradley Barcola top the list.
As all three of these deals fell into a deadlock, Bayern began looking for alternatives. In the end, they chose Diaz, who seemed pleased with the attention from the reigning Bundesliga champions and was ready to leave Anfield.
Knowing that there were few options left, the "Gray Tigers" did not leave the negotiation table after their first offer was rejected by Liverpool. Instead, they have made a better offer in the hope that Diaz will express his desire to leave Liverpool's board. And the Colombian did.
After the departure of Thomas Muller, today's Sane and Mathys Tel in recent weeks, Bayern have understood that they need to add to their attack. And with Jamal Musiala seriously injured in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final against Paris St-Germain, the pressure on sporting director Max Eberl increased.
Eberl took on a significant risk when signing Diaz, due to a huge financial commitment. A source revealed that Diaz is expected to receive a pre-tax salary of around €14 million, up 66% from his income at Liverpool.
Although Bayern is looking to reduce the salary fund this summer because some players receive salaries of up to tens of millions of Euros per year, Diaz's contract continues to maintain a high spending trend.
Eberl is facing criticism over its ability to negotiate and build a squad. Once again, it seems he has only reached an average deal.
Diaz will be 32 years old when his 4-year contract expires. This makes the Colombian striker's ability to make a profit from the transfer deal in the future less likely.
Since recruiting Arjen Robben and Franck ribery in the late 2000s, Bayern have maintained a strategy of using wingers as an indispensable part of the attack system.
As Robben and ribery gradually stepped back, names like Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Sane inherited that role. It seems that head coach Vincent Kompany wants to continue developing a playing style based on fast and groundbreaking wingers. Michael Olise joined Bayern last summer and was named the team's best player in his first campaign.
A source said Kompany fully supports bringing Diaz to the Allianz Arena. He has not only played well on the left wing but also showed impressive ability to play as a striker, with 15 starts as a number 9 under coach Arne Slot last season.
Some even say that Diaz is more dangerous when moving from the center than the familiar left wing position. No matter where he plays, he is still considered an effective pressure player, suitable for Bayern's system.
"I am very happy, being a part of Bayern Munich is very meaningful to me. This is one of the biggest clubs in the world. I want to help the new team with my own playing style and personality.
My goal is to win every title we can, we will work together towards that every day" - Diaz said at his Bayern debut.
At the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Kompany experimented with a 4-4-2 formation with Gnabry and Harry Kane playing as a striker. Diaz could be another option to play alongside Kane, especially if the "Gray Tigers" cannot recruit striker Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart.
The worst scenario for Eberl is that the most expensive contract of the summer has had a lackluster season and is not commensurate with the huge salary it has spent. At the same time, Kompany also faces the risk of making young players feel left out if he is not ready to give opportunities to talent who have just graduated from the academy.
Bayern currently have some promising attacking midfielders, most notably Paul Wanner (19 years old). However, his chances of playing in the first team seem to be running low, especially after Diaz's arrival.
