Rio Ferdinand sends brutal 'no chance' message to Liverpool star after £65m decision

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Rio Ferdinand has criticised Liverpool's decision to offload Luis Diaz in the summer, firmly stating that there is 'no chance' that Cody Gakpo is a better player than the Colombian. The forward made a move to Bayern Munich in a deal potentially worth £65.5m and has been flourishing since joining the Bundesliga heavyweights.

Diaz made an immediate impact by scoring the winning goal on his debut against VfB Stuttgart, securing the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup for the German side in the process. The 28-year-old now boasts an impressive tally of seven goals and four assists from 13 appearances for the Bavarians - with Bayern enjoying a 100 per cent winning streak so far this season.

Liverpool have found themselves struggling, in contrast, despite splashing out £450m during the summer transfer window. And they recently slipped to seventh in the Premier League table after suffering their fourth consecutive defeat in the English top-flight.

With five losses in their last six matches, the Reds were already underperforming before results took a turn for the worse. Now lagging behind league leaders Arsenal , by seven points, the reigning champions' title defence appears to be all-but over before the end of October.

Both Diaz and Gakpo played pivotal roles for Arne Slot's team as Liverpool clinched the Premier League title last season. Initially sharing duties on the left-hand flank, Diaz was later shifted into a more central role as the season progressed, with Slot opting to field both forwards alongside Mohamed Salah in his preferred front three.

Gakpo concluded the previous campaign with 18 strikes and six assists across 49 matches, while Diaz managed 17 goals and five assists from his 50 appearances. The Netherlands international has continued finding the net this term, netting four times and providing three assists in 13 outings so far, yet has still faced criticism alongside several teammates for his performances.

While he encountered fierce competition from Diaz last campaign for a starting spot, the situation has altered this season, with youngster Rio Ngumoha serving as their sole natural back-up. Florian Wirtz, Federico Chiesa and Hugo Ekitike represent additional options, though Slot has predominantly kept Gakpo in the position.

Former Manchester United defender Ferdinand has now criticised Liverpool's choice to offload Diaz during their current difficulties, arguing it represented poor business. "I think Diaz leaving, I don't know if that's good business," he said on the ' Rio Ferdinand Presents' podcast.

"I think he's a top player, Diaz. Being allowed to leave the club, have they replaced him with anything better? Is Gakpo better? I would say no, no chance.

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"They're not functioning, they're not playing as well. The new players that have come in have probably unbalanced the team a little bit with the way the manager is trying to play it."

It's worth highlighting that Diaz was only sold by Liverpool because he desired an exit, having been refused a transfer to Man City during the summer of 2024. The Reds originally maintained that the Colombian was not available during the latest summer transfer window, but shifted their position after the 28-year-old made his desire to depart clear following failed contract negotiations with the Premier League champions.

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