If Bayern Munich’s strategy for Luis Diaz got here with Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool supervisor, the German could have flipped his lid.
The Reds have immediately rejected a £58.6million supply for his or her Colombian star, sustaining that he’s not on the market this summer time.
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But some reviews declare Diaz has instructed the membership he needs to depart for Bayern, which can deliver a dose of deja vu, simply not for Arne Slot.
In 2022, it was Klopp who needed to cope with the Bundesliga giants coming for one in every of his key gamers, and it was a frustratingly acquainted feeling for the previous Borussia Dortmund man.
The present Purple Bull Head of International Soccer was previously a breath of recent air when he arrived within the German prime flight with Mainz again in 2004, however too recent in Bayern’s eyes.
Klopp threatened to derail the file champions’ Bundesliga domination with two titles for Dortmund in 2011 and 2012, so when he aimed to beat them within the following 12 months’s Champions League remaining, Bayern determined to show their new enemy a lesson.
The Bavarians launched an assault for Klopp’s key man Mario Gotze, and introduced the deal whereas they had been trouncing Actual Madrid within the semi-finals.
It proved to be an ideal unsettling tactic as Bayern would beat Dortmund within the Wembley remaining, after which come again for Robert Lewandowski the next summer time, comprehensively ending any probability of a brand new BVB period in Germany.
Klopp would later depart in 2015 with Bayern within the midst of an 11-year title-winning streak, however it wasn’t till 2022 that he needed to cope with their underhand techniques once more.
This time at Liverpool, Klopp was on prime of the world aiming for a treble, however forward of the Champions League remaining towards Actual Madrid, Bayern’s timing left him reeling as soon as extra.
His pre-game press convention was dominated by questions on Sadio Mane, with very robust reviews that he was heading to Bayern the next season.
With a deep breath out by his nostril and his eyes sharpened in frustration, Klopp unconvincingly responded: “The Bayern rumours, I couldn’t care much less.
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“We’re all absolutely centered on this recreation. Sadio is totally centered and he is aware of how necessary it’s to him and us. So, no considerations, fully regular.”
Nonetheless, Klopp then confirmed why it might have been attending to him, alluding to the transfer perhaps being private.
“It’s not the primary time in my profession that earlier than a decisive recreation Bayern Munich rumours are developing,” he stated with a snarl.
“I don’t know precisely what I did, why that occurs, however no drawback in any respect.”
There was an issue although – the rumours had been true.
Liverpool would lose the ultimate and Mane would depart, together with his well-known attacking trident that included Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino now a factor of the previous.
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In some senses, like with Gotze, Liverpool had the final chortle, as Mane was equally horrible, if no more than the 2014 German World Cup winner.
The Senegal captain lasted only a season in Munich with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting forcing him out of the group and basically ending his time as an elite degree footballer.
For Klopp, although, he by no means obtained revenge, though his previous facet positively did.
Bayern spent everything of the 2024/25 season utilizing their Mane and Gotze tactic on Florian Wirtz, overtly flirting with the Bayer Leverkusen star who dethroned them the earlier season.
But regardless of public shows of affection from executives Uli Hoeness, Herbert Hainer and Jan-Christian Dreesen, Wirtz selected Liverpool, and Bayern at the moment are very brief up prime.
Nico Williams dealt them one other blow by staying at Athletic Bilbao, whereas Leroy Sane rejected a contract extension to hitch Galatasaray.
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Thomas Muller has additionally left, whereas Jamal Musiala can be out for a lot of the season with a damaged leg and prime goal from Stuttgart, Nick Woltemade, seems to be staying put.
Meaning the transfer for Diaz is way extra of a necessity than any type of tactic.
But the actual irony with Bayern down and harm could possibly be Klopp’s Leipzig beating them to the title for a bit of revenge 13 years within the making.
