Liverpool have turned down an approach from Barcelona to speak with Colombian forward Luis Diaz, making it clear the 28-year-old is not for sale.

Club sources confirmed to BBC Sport that Diaz, a vital part of Liverpool’s Premier League title-winning squad last season, remains central to new manager Arne Slot’s plans. Diaz scored 13 goals and provided seven assists as Liverpool clinched the title by a dominant 10-point margin.

Diaz, who joined from Porto in January 2022 and is under contract until 2027, has also drawn past interest from Manchester City and clubs in Saudi Arabia. Speaking while on international duty, Diaz said: “I’m very happy at Liverpool. They’ve welcomed me very well. Whether I extend or finish my contract, I’ll be happy.”

Despite his public commitment, recent social media posts by Diaz and his partner have sparked speculation about his future, interpreted by some fans as farewell messages.

Liverpool, however, are already moving decisively in the transfer window. They’ve signed Dutch right-back Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for £29.5m and are close to a club-record £109m deal for German midfielder Florian Wirtz. Talks are ongoing for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, valued between £45m and £50m.

Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold has left for Real Madrid, Caoimhin Kelleher has joined Brentford, and Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have both signed new deals until 2027. Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will join the squad after a loan spell at Valencia.