Merseyside giants Liverpool are said to be leading the race to sign highly rated FC Porto winger Luis Diaz. This is according to BBC Sports which claimed that the Reds are trying to sign the Colombian international before the January transfer window ends.

Liverpool initially wanted to wait until the summer to being the Colombian winger from Portugal, but their plans changed when North London team Tottenham Hotspur showed a strong interest in the player. Spurs were ready to sign Diaz in the current winter transfer window and that accelerated the transfer plans that Liverpool manager JurgenKlopp and other senior club officials have for the player. The North London outfit had a £38m bid rejected for the 25-year-old winger.

If Liverpool are successful with the signing of Diaz from FC Porto in Portugal, they will spend €45m (£37.5m) plus a maximum of  €15m (£12.5m) in add-ons. His asking price in the summer would have been €60m (£50m).

Liverpool face race against time to complete the deal for Diaz who’s presently with the Colombia squad for the latest set of qualifiers for Qatar 2022 in the South American region. Diaz started the Peru game on Friday, but he could not prevent his team from a disappointing 1-0 home loss to Peru through the goal from Edison Flores five minutes from time. Diaz and Colombia will travel to face hosts Argentina on Tuesday hoping to bounce back from the damaging home defeat to the Peruvians.

The Reds have a few days to sign Diaz with the current transfer window set to close on Monday.

Diaz has played against Liverpool in the colours of FC Porto of Portugal twice this season in the Champions League. The Reds won 5-1 in Portugal before recording a 2-0 home win over their opponents who finished in third place in Group B behind group winners Liverpool and Atletico Madrid.