Man Utd could hijack Liverpool’s Luis Diaz transfer with Porto unwilling to sanction cut-price deal for £67m winger

LIVERPOOL’S chances of signing Porto star Luis Diaz this month have taken a massive blow.

And Manchester United may now steal a chase – alongside some of Europe’s biggest sides.

Man Utd have taken the lead in the race to sign Luis Diaz with Porto unwilling to let him leave for less than his £67m release feeCredit: Getty

SunSport exclusively revealed earlier this month that the Reds were keen to land the Colombian winger to boost their attacking power and add greater depth.

Diaz, 24, has a release clause of £67million yet Liverpool were confident they could lure him away for significantly less.

But SunSport understands that following Porto’s decision to let two key players leave the club already this month, they will not budge unless the release clause is met.

Winger Jesus Manuel Corona has left the Portuguese giants for Sevilla in a £2.5m move while midfielder Sergio Oliveira has joined Roma on a £1m loan fee with the option to buy for around £12m.

Porto are now desperate not to lose a third big name unless their hand is forced with the release clause which would give them the finances to replace him.

Yet Liverpool are unwilling to take that risk this month, and would rather wait until the summer to assess their options before splashing out on Diaz.

However, their decision to wait could be their downfall with rivals Man Utd keeping a close eye on one of Europe’s biggest talents.

SunSport understands a United scout was recently at a Porto game to watch Diaz, but they were not the only club with a representative present.

Scouts from Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Saint-Etienne, Rennes, Real Sociedad and Sassuolo were also in attendance.

Diaz currently has 14 goals in 18 league games, as well as two goals in six Champions League appearances.

He produced 11 goals and six assists in all competitions for the Porto last season before excelling at last summer’s Copa America.

He ended the competition with four goals – joint-top scorer alongside Argentina’s Lionel Messi.

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