Luis Diaz has admitted he has formed a strong bond with Darwin Nunez since the Uruguayan was brought to the club during the summer transfer window.
Nunez arrived at Anfield in the middle of June for an initial £64.1million fee, having caught the eye against Liverpool two months prior when representing Benfica in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Scoring in both legs against Jurgen Klopp's side, the 23-year-old certainly made a lasting impression.
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A similar scenario applied in the case of Diaz, who starred for FC Porto in group stage games versus the Reds during the 2021/22 campaign before making the move to Merseyside in January of last year. The South American duo were previously arch rivals in the Portuguese Primera Liga, but have developed a strong relationship since signing for Liverpool.
"Right now, we are really close,” said Diaz. “We spend almost every second together from the moment we get into training to the minute we leave. It’s really cool having him as a team-mate now and I’m really proud to be playing alongside him because I know just how good a player he is, and his ability and quality offers us so much as a team.
“Sharing a dressing room with such great players right now at this club has just been incredible for me. Everyone learns stuff off each other here in order to keep improving and stay in the right mindset for everything that lies ahead.
“We’ve chatted about big Porto-Benfica games where we’ve played against each other. They were always amazing encounters. It was always like a final when those two sides played each other. Everybody gave it absolutely everything and it was fantastic. We joked around about games and situations in games. It was fun, but now, having him on my side, it’s just amazing because I know very well just what qualities he can bring to the party and I know he’s going to contribute massively.”
Bouncing back from his long-term injury, Diaz has featured in each of Liverpool's last four outings and was on the scoresheet during Sunday's 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Sidelined for the vast majority of the season, the Colombian has been unable to contribute in the way he would have wished and is now eager to make up for lost time.
“Since I arrived here, I’ve always wanted to give absolutely everything, 100 per cent all the time. It’s a dream come true, so I always want to be performing at my very best level,” the 26-year-old told liverpoolfc.com.
“I’ve had some help too in the shape of my teammates who have helped me with getting used to the football and with the language and made me feel comfortable and at ease. They’ve made me feel at home in every single training session, and these were all important factors in my settling in much more quickly. But from the beginning and moving forward it was all about really wanting it and the desire to make progress and give my very best in each game. That’s pretty much it really.”
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