Fabricio Diaz is a name that is on the radars of several big clubs across Europe following his exploits for Liverpool Montevideo and the Uruguay youth national teams.
Just 20 years of age, the defensive midfielder has already made over 115 appearances for Liverpool Montevideo and is the captain of the club. Meanwhile, he has also been making all the right noises with the Uruguayan Under-20 team.
Indeed, Diaz led the national team to the finals of the South American U-20 Championships earlier this year. And earlier this month, he did one better and led Uruguay to the trophy in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina.
Barcelona have held an interest in Diaz for a while now as a possible long-term reinforcement for the pivot position.
However, according to a fresh update from Jijantes FC’s Carlos Monfort, Barcelona’s pursuit of Diaz has now ‘frozen’ despite there being some talks held with the young midfielder’s agent in recent days.
The halt in the operation comes mainly due to the Blaugrana’s economic situation coupled with the fact that the 20-year-old’s price has gone up following his exploits at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Diaz was previously valued at around €6 million, but Liverpool Montevideo are now seeking a higher fee for the young midfield prodigy.
On top of that, Diaz also has offers from clubs like Villarreal, Real Betis, and SC Braga and will make a decision on his future in the coming 15-20 days.
A star in the making, the 20-year-old midfielder could have been a good addition for Barcelona with an eye on the future.
However, the focus is currently on signing a top-quality pivot midfielder who can get into the team right away and fill the void left by captain Sergio Busquets’ departure.