‘Major factor’ which contributed to ‘special’ player leaving Liverpool explained | OneFootball

Theo Walcott believes he knows the reason why Luis Diaz left Liverpool in the summer.

The Colombia international left the Premier League champions in order to sign for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and the winger has made a stunning start to life in Germany.

The 28-year-old has six goals and four assist in 10 appearances for Vincent Kompany’s side (across all competitions) and is proving exactly why Bayern splashed £65.5m to secure his services (Guardian).

Despite being a huge favourite amongst Kopites, Walcott believes it was Diaz’s low wages which was a ‘major factor’ behind his decision to leave Merseyside.

“I understand why he left because he’s probably one of the best wingers who was so direct, so unique, and he was probably the player at Liverpool that was not getting paid what he felt was right for someone of his ability,” he told US Overlap’s Podcast (via Rousing The Kop).

“So, I understand as a player thinking, ‘Oh, I’m one of the best wingers in the country. I’ve won the Premier League. I should be getting paid.’

“And it comes, it does come down to that. I know. And it will as a player. And I think that’s a major factor.”

Diaz scored 17 goals in all competitions last term and was a key part of Arne Slot’s championship winning squad.

The former Porto man, labelled ‘really special’ by Jurgen Klopp during his time at Anfield (via OneFootball), reportedly wanted to leave the Reds last summer but remained at Anfield to help the club to their 20th league title before calling it a day.

His contract was set to expire in 2027 and that resulted in Bayern needing to fork out a significant amount of money for his signature.

An article released by Bein Sports in July revealed our former No.7 was the 19th highest paid player in the Liverpool squad – earning a surprisingly low amount compared to the likes of Mo Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Andrew Robertson.

It’s not all about money for a lot of players – but it’s definitely an important factor when deciding the next step in your career.

Diaz was a brilliant servant for the club and we wish him all the best in Bavaria!