In an interview with The Athletic, Veteran Reds Player Gruich, who now plays for Porto, revealed that Liverpool had asked him for his opinion on Luis Díaz last November.
According to Gruic, after Liverpool's 2-0 win over Porto in late November last year, the Reds asked him for his opinion on Díaz, and Liverpool had planned to sign the Colombian star again this summer, but the Reds immediately took action after the Porto winter window lowered the asking price.
Gruich said: "Some people at Liverpool have asked me what kind of a person Díaz is off the pitch and I told them he's a good guy who can easily fit into any team. I've also spoken to Díaz about liverpool and he's happy that a team like Liverpool is interested in him. ”
"As a player, I don't want that to happen, but Díaz went to Liverpool after playing the national team and it all happened so fast that we haven't been able to say goodbye to him officially yet. We will miss him very much because he is a fantastic player and has scored a lot of important goals for us and any team that loses a player like him will miss him because of his ability to change the game in an instant. ”
"Diaz has been unstoppable this season, he's made some crazy stuff for us in the offensive third division and I think the biggest change he's changed from last season is the performance on the defensive end, he's doing better defensively. He has the ability to make a one-on-one break and then score goals or deliver assists, but his defence is not at the highest level and his defence has improved after working with Conceissão. ”
Grujci then said: "We saw that in Liverpool's game against Cardiff City, he was high-pressure at half-time and regained the ball, and then helped Takushi Minamino score. He has become a well-rounded player and judging by his performances this season, I am not surprised that Liverpool have signed him. ”
Commenting on what advice he had for Díaz, Gruich said: "Adapting to the Premier League may be a bit difficult, but I'm sure he will adapt well, he's physically strong, his speed and explosiveness are incredible, his feet are fast, which gives him the ability to play against any defender. And he's a very positive guy off the pitch, always smiling, and I'm sure he can get along well with Liverpool's Brazilian players who will help him learn English quickly. ”
"He's going to fit in well into the squad, his fellow players have a lot of options but he has a lot of opportunities to show himself. The club paid a big fee for him because they believed in him and he had the strength. I've seen Díaz make good connections with the club and the fans and the fans will love him because of his technical and attacking ability. I'm sure Liverpool fans will be getting more and more excited about Díaz because he has a lot to offer. ”
The 25-year-old, Díaz joined Liverpool from Porto in the winter window for a total transfer fee of 60 million euros, and he played 18 Games in the Portuguese Premier League for Porto in the first half of the season, contributing 14 goals and five assists.
(Luke)