More than a few eyebrows were raised on Merseyside when it was claimed that Liverpool forward Luis Diaz had agreed a contract with one of the club's Premier League rivals.
Journalist Marcos Benito reported that the Colombia international had reached an agreement on a five-year deal with reigning champions Manchester City.
The reporter added that Pep Guardiola's side were prepared to offer a fee in the region of €70m (£60m) to snap him up from Anfield this summer.
It did not take long, though, for that rumour to be rubbished as The Athletic's Sam Lee, who covers the Cityzens, confirmed that there was no truth in the speculation.
Luis Diaz's future at Liverpool
Speaking on The Anfield Agenda, journalist David Lynch revealed that, despite reports of City's interest, Liverpool are open to cashing in on the winger this summer.
The reporter claimed that the Reds would be willing to move the former Porto star on before the end of the transfer window if they can get a replacement in with more attacking output on the flank.
With this in mind, Arne Slot could brutally ditch Diaz, if there is a team that is genuinely interested in signing him, by swooping for reported target Johan Bakayoko.
The Mirror recently reported that the PSV forward is a long-term target for Liverpool as they eye up players who could come in to bolster their options on the flanks.
A possible fee of between £35m and £40m was reported earlier this summer but it remains to be seen how much the Reds would be willing to pay for his services.
Why Liverpool should sign Johan Bakayoko
Liverpool should sign Bakayoko to provide Slot with a natural alternative to Mo Salah on the right flank, as another left-footed right-sided winger.
That would then leave Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, and Cody Gakpo who can all play on the left side of the front three, whilst all three of them can also play as the central striker.
Brutally ditching Diaz from the squad to bring in the PSV starlet could, therefore, provide Slot with more balance in his options across the frontline.
Appearances
33
37
xG
8.69
11.88
Goals
12
8
Big chances created
12
5
Assists
9
5
As you can see in the table above, Bakayoko significantly outperformed the Colombian winger in the final third, albeit in a different division, with more goals, big chances created, and assists in fewer league appearances.
Whilst Diaz underperformed his xG by almost four goals, the PSV whiz outperformed his by just over three. This suggests that the Belgium international is a ruthless finisher who could make the most of the chances that Liverpool create, which cannot be said of the current Reds man.
Bakayoko, who was described as "fun to watch" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is also six years younger than the Colombia international, which means that he has far more time on his hands to develop and improve, whilst seemingly having the potential to offer more quality at the top end of the pitch.
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Therefore, Slot must ruthlessly ditch Diaz from his squad this summer, if possible, and replace him by landing the 21-year-old star to compete for a place out wide.