It looks like an exciting attacking talent is coming to the Premier League, but he isn't heading to Manchester City.
Liverpool are odds-on favourites to complete the signing of Colombian winger Luis Diaz from FC Porto before deadline day, with the fee expected to be around £49m.
City's title rivals will be getting one hell of a player and the Blues are better qualified to make that claim than most.
Diaz scored one of the goals of the 2020/21 Champions League against Pep Guardiola's side, when he dribbled his way past City's entire back-line before rifling the ball into the bottom corner.
Since then he has gone from strength to strength for both Porto and Colombia, but Jurgen Klopp be warned: City have shown they know how to handle him.
City cameb back to defeat Porto 3-1 in their opening game of the Champions League group stage. Second-half goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres sealed the win, but the scoreline did not reflect a heated encounter in which the visitors frequently threatened City with quick counter-attacks.
Diaz was central to Porto's game plan in the opening 45 minutes, playing on the left-wing and giving Kyle Walker a pretty tough time of it.
He put the visitors ahead after just 14 minutes, when he cut inside from the flank, drove past a couple of half-hearted tackles to the opposite side of the penalty area and fired beyond Ederson.
Before half-time the then-23-year-old scored one, took two shots and created a chance for teammate Moussa Marega. Yet after the interval, City pretty much shut him down.
Diaz struggled to impact proceedings in the second half and before too long City were 3-1 up. The Blues overcame his inspired first-half showing to get their campaign off to a winning start, and it was a trick they repeated in the return fixture just over a month later in Portugal.
Unlike in Manchester, Diaz did not start from the off in Porto, but when Sérgio Conceição brought him off the bench to try and break the deadlock City once again kept him quiet.
During his 28-minute cameo he failed to take any shots, while he only managed to attempt one dribble. City continued to dominate and spurn chance after chance and, with Diaz and his side offering little going the other way, the game finished 0-0.
The point secured City's place at the top of the group, while also capping a run of four consecutive clean sheets in Europe for the first time since 1970.
As it turned out, the goal Diaz scored just 14 minutes into City's Champions League campaign was the only one Guardiola's side conceded in the entire group stage, a remarkable feat partly enabled by their ability to keep the Porto dangerman quiet following his initial flourish.
There is no doubting that Liverpool are making a signing that will help them keep up the pressure on City this season, and at the least will make them even stronger rivals next year.
But while Liverpool supporters will keep the video of Diaz' stunning solo goal against City on repeat, the two second halves in which City shut him down will go under the radar.
Guardiola's men face a new threat, but they know exactly how to handle it.
Do you think Liverpool will pose more of a threat to City with Luis Diaz in their squad? Follow our City Is Ours writer Alex Brotherton on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
