Porto coach Sergio's son, Francisco Concesson, caused a stir on social media last weekend. The junior came on as a winning goal, his first goal in the Portuguese Premier League, helping the team to a tough 3-2 win over Estoril. Estoril has proven himself this season and despite winning just one of his last eight games, he is still struggling to qualify for Europe. At one point, Estoril led Porto 2-1 until the 84th minute, when he was five minutes away from creating a super upset. Until Luis Diaz took the game into his own hands. The Colombian equalised for Porto before becoming Concesson to deliver a killer assist. Diaz intercepted a pass on the left side of Porto, beat the defender and then passed to Concessan to score. The 19-year-old scored a winning goal for the Portuguese Premier League leader, but the victory was another standout for Diaz.
Diaz has won more of the Best Player award (5) in this season's Portuguese Premier League than any other player. In Portugal's top flight, only the experienced Rafa (20) has produced more goals than Diaz (17), and after a so-so 2020-21 season, the 25-year-old has ignited the entire league. Of course, Diaz's performances have not gone unnoticed, with Premier League teams showing interest in the Colombia international. Liverpool are closely linked to Diaz's transfer, while Reds rivals Tottenham are believed to have submitted a £50m offer, which Porto has rejected, with Porto reportedly willing to sell the winger for a price close to its rumored £66m termination clause.
Often attacking from the left, Diaz habitually cuts inward to the right and scores with his right foot, seven of his 13 league goals this season have been with his right foot. It was this approach that helped him score four goals at the 2021 Copa America in Brazil and helpEd Colombia win third place, which is on par with Messi's level in the game, and Diaz's worth has been skyrocketing since his success with the national team. While Diaz has only had four assists in 16 league games this season, it speaks more about the poor performances of his teammates than the problems of the players themselves. In this season's Portuguese Premier League, only Lincoln (36) and Horta (35) have more key passes than Diaz (34), and 41 successful dribbles are also the third best performances in the league. The 61.2% dribbling success rate is the 12th out of 63 players in the Portuguese Premier League who have tried 25 or more dribbles this season, a statistic that can be improved but still worthy of respect. Given Diaz's ability to score goals and create chances, the winger often tries to score goals with his individual ability, which helps him become the spotlight.
However, in modern games, offensive players also have to take on defensive tasks that are carried out from the opponent's half, forcing the opponent to make mistakes and creating opportunities for teammates. Liverpool, for example, have won 138 possessions near the opposing penalty area, at least 22 times more than other Premier League teams, and Klopp has asked his players to play against opposing defenders and midfielders in order to win the ball and quickly kick them behind when they feel safest. That's a key reason Liverpool have scored 52 league goals this season: only Manchester City (53) have scored more goals in england's top flight. However, Diaz is a man who is sure to be able to implement Klopp's strict requirements. In the Portuguese Premier League this season, only five players have won more possession than Diaz (15 times) in the third quarter of the attack. Of the Porto squad, only Ottavio (20 times) did better than him.
"Luis Diaz is a fantastic player, he does a lot of work defensively and he illustrates that in his goal in the Copa America," Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson has said of the Colombian before, and the Brazilian's praise for Diaz will certainly please Klopp. In addition, in the Champions League Group B group Oporto against Liverpool, the Reds have already learned his ability at close range. Admittedly, Diaz has been mediocre in both games with Premier League title contenders, but in both games the winger has still dribbled five times, made three key passes, four tackles and interceptions. It's a microcosm of his talent, showing his ability near the opposing penalty area, both at his feet and without possession.
Porto has asked stakeholders to keep a close eye on his termination clause in order to reach the deal, which is not without reason to consider his fiery position in Portugal. Caution should be exercised before spending a fortune on a player, in his previous two seasons he had struggled to maintain a stable form and fight for game time, the change in personnel had led to Ottavio switching mainly from the left wing to the right wing, Diaz took full advantage of his chances, locked a fixed position on the side of Porto and he certainly didn't have to wait too long to get a chance to make a leap to the giants.