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Arne Slot has detailed the reason behind Luis Diaz’s absence from Liverpool’s pre-season Asia opener against AC Milan in Hong Kong.

The Reds lost 4-2 to the Italian side as a plethora of players got some valuable minutes into their legs ahead of another season in England’s top-flight.

The Dutchman is sure to have understood the weight of the job he was taking on last summer, as becoming the manager of Liverpool Football Club is no walk in the park.

The press in England are intense, and words have to be chosen carefully to avoid any unnecessary narratives being built.

So far, we have seen Slot navigate this press extremely well and the way he protects his club and his players is commendable.

However, the Dutchman showed during his time at Feyernoord that he is all about performances on the pitch, and less about creating bonds with players that may hamper the quality they show on the pitch.

If you do not perform and work your way into Arne Slot’s plans, or you express your desire to leave, he will not stand in your way.

Arne Slot is an honest man, and following the pre-season defeat today, he was extremely open about the reason behind Luis Diaz being left out of the matchday squad, confirming that he was left out due to ongoing talks over his future.

The manager’s answer was simple: “Yes, Luis Diaz was left out today due to speculation about his future.”

“He’s training really well with us, but we’ve decided, for now, not to play him yet.”

“I’m used to talking to most of my players on a regular basis, like I said, Lucho is training really well and we’ve decided he’s not playing at the moment.

I cannot comment much more about that.”

Straight to the point, and near enough confirmation that Luis Diaz’s football will be played elsewhere next season.

The Colombian has been a brilliant player for the Reds, but he appears to be financially upset at the club, and is seeking a better package at Bayern Munich, who are pushing hard to sign him.

Bayern Munich will continue to pursue Luis Diaz as he is their priority signing this summer, following the departure of Leroy Sane.

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