When Arne Slot walked onto the touchline at Turf Moor, the camera caught his face. The Liverpool manager looked serious, almost dejected, as if the weight of every decision he made over the summer was pressing on him. And maybe it was. Because on one side of Europe, at Anfield, Liverpool were fighting until the very last minute to scrape a win against Burnley, while in Germany, one man that Slot sold in the summer was writing his own history, scoring goals for fun, and being called an animal. That man was Luis Díaz.
Liverpool came into this season with a new manager, new ideas, and a rebuild that many thought was risky. Long-serving names had left, young stars had arrived, and Arne Slot wanted to shape Liverpool in his own image. It meant painful choices, it meant farewells, and it meant selling players that fans loved. One of the biggest names to go was Luis Díaz, the Colombian winger who brought fire, energy, and passion every time he played in a red shirt. He had lifted trophies, scored important goals, and given the Kop memories to sing about. But when the summer ended, Díaz was no longer a Liverpool player. He was a Bayern Munich player, and he was ready to explode in Germany.
Back in England, Liverpool were playing Burnley. It was a tough game, the kind of game where Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp had often struggled after an international break. Burnley defended deep, fought for every ball, and frustrated the Reds. Alexander Isak, the British record signing, was not even in the squad. Hugo Ekitike tried but could not break down the wall of claret shirts. Time ticked away, the clock moved into stoppage time, and it looked like points would be dropped. But then, in the 95th minute, Mohamed Salah stepped up, cool as ice, and buried a penalty. Liverpool won 1-0, the perfect start to the league campaign was saved. The headlines spoke about Salah breaking his six-year Turf Moor drought. But the whispers? The whispers were about the man not there, the man far away in Germany, scoring every week.
Because in Munich, Luis Díaz was making history. He had scored in his first Bundesliga game. He scored again in his second. And then, against Hamburg, he scored again, becoming only the fourth Bayern Munich signing in history to score in each of his first three league appearances. The names before him were Ruggiero Rizzitelli in 1996, Luca Toni in 2007, and Mario Mandzukic in 2012. Now, Díaz’s name joined that list. Three goals, two assists, three games. He was not just playing well, he was dominating. He was being called unstoppable. Colombian teammate Kevin Castaño said it simply on Instagram: “Animal.” That was the word, and that was the truth. Luis Díaz had turned into an animal in Germany.
For Liverpool fans, it was bittersweet. They remembered last season when Díaz had his best year in red, scoring 17 goals and providing eight assists across all competitions. They remembered his smile, his celebrations, the way he always played with heart. And now, just months later, he was gone. Some asked why Liverpool sold him. Why let a player in his prime leave? Why give Bayern such a gift? But the answer was complicated. Díaz wanted a new challenge. He had won every domestic trophy in England. He felt it was time. His representatives asked for a new deal, Liverpool hesitated, and the door opened. Bayern came in, Vincent Kompany offered him a starring role, and Díaz said yes. For him, it was the right time. For Liverpool, it was a painful but calculated choice.
Arne Slot knew the risk. He knew selling Díaz would hurt. But he also knew he had to trust Cody Gakpo, he had to give space to Darwin Núñez, and he had to shape the team in his own way. Gakpo has started well this season, scoring, assisting, and looking like a man reborn. Slot could point to that and say the decision worked. Liverpool still have a perfect league record, they are scoring late winners, they are fighting like a team. Slot can smile at that. But deep down, he must also know that somewhere in Germany, the player he sold is playing the best football of his life.
For Díaz, it is pure joy. At Bayern, he is not just another attacker fighting for a place. He is the star on the left wing, the man Kompany trusts to break defenses. He is playing with freedom, with confidence, with that raw hunger that made him special at Porto before Liverpool bought him. He has the crowd behind him, he has teammates feeding him, and he is rewarding them with goals. Every time he scores, he celebrates with passion, and the fans in Munich already sing his name. They see him as the new jewel of their attack, the man who can light up the Bundesliga and Europe.
It is strange how football works. One summer you are lifting a Premier League title with Liverpool, the next you are scoring in front of the Südkurve at the Allianz Arena. One manager sees you as part of the future, another lets you go. But in the end, it can work for everyone. Díaz is shining, Bayern are happy, Liverpool are winning, and Slot is building something of his own. Painful as it was, maybe it really was the right decision for all parties.
Still, the debate will not end. Every time Gakpo struggles in a game, fans will ask if Díaz would have made the difference. Every time Díaz scores in Germany, fans will wonder if he could have done the same at Anfield. Every big Champions League night will bring the question: should Liverpool have kept him? Football is full of these what-ifs, and they never go away.
But one thing is clear: Luis Díaz is an animal. That is not just a word from a teammate, it is the truth of his performances. He runs with fire, he attacks defenders like prey, and he finishes with the hunger of a man who refuses to stop. At Bayern, he is rewriting his story. At Liverpool, Arne Slot is rewriting the team. Two paths, two stories, one summer decision that changed everything.
And when Slot stood on the touchline at Turf Moor, with the match hanging in the balance, maybe the thought flickered in his mind. The thought of the Colombian running down the left wing, cutting inside, curling a shot into the net. Maybe he wondered what it would be like to still have him. But then Salah scored, Liverpool won, and Slot nodded. No regrets, he said. Because in football, you cannot look back. You can only build forward. And right now, Liverpool and Luis Díaz are both building forward, just in different directions.m
