Laporta confirms Barcelona's withdrawal from transfer pursuit of Liverpool's Diaz

The Colombian had been linked with a move to the Camp Nou for several weeks, but Liverpool remained adamant they were not willing to part with him.

The rumoured €70 million price tag was also beyond Barcelona's reach. Instead, they secured Rashford from Manchester United on loan with a €30 million buy option next year.

Laporta has revealed in an interview that Barcelona are no longer in the race to sign Luis Diaz, as reported by Sportal.

Club president Joan Laporta has confirmed the news, citing the acquisition of English international Marcus Rashford as the reason.

"We had several options, and ultimately, we went with the one I liked most – Marcus Rashford. It's true that I hold Luis Diaz in high regard; he's a very complete player.

"However, given Liverpool's firm stance, it was very difficult. I want to thank the player for always wanting to come to us," Laporta said of the failed transfer.