Manchester United reportedly held talks to sign Fabricio Diaz but his coach at Liverpool Montevideo has indicated that the Red Devils never made a ‘formal offer’ for the Qatar-bound wonderkid.
While the Saudi Pro League may have dominated the Middle Eastern landscape during a summer of heavy spending, don’t forget about Qatar.
Marco Verratti, Abdou Diallo and Julian Draxler all swapped Paris Saint-Germain for the Qatari Stars League; PSG’s connections with the QIF (Qatari Investment Fund) about as coincidental as Chelsea’s with Saudi Arabia’s PIF.
Fabricio Diaz, meanwhile, is on his way to Al-Gharafa despite negotiations with Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona and more. Liverpool, per 90Min, also held discussions with their Uruguay-based namesakes.
Speaking to Radio Sport 890, however, Liverpool Montevideo coach Jorge Bava insists that only one club made a ‘formal offer’ for the young midfielder, and it wasn’t Manchester United and co.
Manchester United miss out on Fabricio Diaz
“There is a reality. And (the reality) is that (Al-Gharafa’s bid) was the only formal offer,” Bava explains. “The only tangible thing was this offer. So it was good to accept it. Fabricio is very happy.
“He chooses his destiny, and I think the decision was good.”
Al-Gharafa will pay around £5 million, according to Fabrizio Romano. And while some will question the logic of Diaz’s decision, regular first-team football should certainly prove easier to come by in the ambitious Qatari Stars League than it would have been at Manchester United and co.
Going head-to-head with Marco Verratti
“I’m happy with the player because, in my opinion, he completed a cycle (here),” Bava adds. “It seemed like he knew that his career at Liverpool had reached that point.
“When he came to say goodbye, I saw him very happy. Fabricio was longing for (the move) and, lately, he was quite worried about it happening.
“Luckily, it happened on good terms for all parties.”
Capped over 30 times by Uruguay at Under 20 level, Diaz is likely to remain on the radar of Man United and co, especially if the youngster can hold his own against the likes of Diallo, Verratti, Draxler, Philippe Coutinho, Ibrahima Bamba, Romain Saiss and Rodrigo Moreno.
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