Colombian report: Luis Diaz’ parents were kidnapped

The parents of Liverpool striker Luis Diaz were kidnapped in Barrancas on Saturday, according to Colombia.

Late Saturday, shocking news broke that Diaz’s parents had been kidnapped from their home country.

Colombia’s Semena channel was the first to report the story, which was later confirmed by authorities.

Luis Manuel Diaz and Cilenis Marulanda were kidnapped after the attackers hijacked the vehicle they were in.

The kidnappers arrived on a motorcycle before taking control of the Diaz family’s van on the way back to the Los Olivos area.

The police and military rushed to identify the player’s parents, after which his mother, Cilenis Marulanda, was rescued.

This extremely upsetting news, which raises concerns about the safety of the families of well-known football players, comes just before regional elections take place throughout Colombia.

As of right now, it is unknown if Diaz will play in Sunday afternoon’s Liverpool vs. Nottingham Forest match.

It would make sense, though, and be anticipated, if the 26-year-old were to receive compassionate leave.

Club statement:

Liverpool Football Club have confirmed that they are aware of the situation of Luis Diaz’s family in Colombia.

We sincerely hope that this issue will be resolved quickly and safely.
“In the meantime, the welfare of our players remains our top priority.”

The Premier League match kicks off at 14:00 (GMT) at Anfield and Diaz is likely to start.
Diaz is considered Colombia’s most important player at the moment, putting pressure on 43 goalkeepers during his international break.

So far this season, he has appeared in 9 out of 11 games for Liverpool, scoring 3 goals and providing 1 assist.

More news……

Jurgen Klopp orders Liverpool scouts to keep an eye on a £100m Chelsea transfer target

Jurgen Klopp is weighing up a move for Chelsea transfer target Victor Osimhen and has sent a club scout to keep an eye on the Napoli striker during the international break.

The Nigerian star was due to play for his country against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique in the Algarve last week.

Osimhen played for an hour against the Saudis before succumbing to a hamstring injury in front of one of Klopp’s trusted scouts, according to The Sun.

The Reds, along with their Premier League rivals, are considering capitalizing on Osimhen’s deteriorating relationship with the reigning Serie A champions.

Osimhen’s goals led Napoli to a rare Scudetto victory last season but he was left dejected and disheartened after being mocked by his own club on social media following a missed penalty earlier this month.

Napoli may be reluctant to sell a player valued at £100 million but Liverpool are already making contingency plans ahead of an expected renewed attempt by Saudi Pro League clubs to sign Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool already have a wealth of attacking options and only just over a year ago invested more than £80 million in Darwin Nunez.

The Uruguay international has shown glimpses of potential during his Anfield career so far and has earned cult hero status thanks to his energetic and sometimes erratic style.

Nunez has scored five goals in all competitions so far this season and also scored for Uruguay in their historic win over Brazil earlier this week.

However, the 24-year-old is considered a work in progress, with former Liverpool striker Michael Owen saying he needs “a lot of coaching” after a wayward performance against Union St. Gilloise earlier this month.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Owen said: “It’s either a lack of confidence, a lack of ability or a lack of concentration, but in theory most professional football players should be able to finish it.

“Nothing he does really surprises me, and I mean, he does great things and then terrible things, he has so many holes in his game and I think he has the raw material to be a player high level, but he needs a lot of coaching” and maybe a little more experience.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are also monitoring Osimhen’s situation as they themselves have problems in front of goal.

Summer signing Christopher Nkunku is expected to be out until January with a knee injury, leaving Mauricio Pochettino to rely on Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja, who recently returned from a long break