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L’Équipe reports that Saudi club Al-Hilal SFC has submitted a €70m offer for Bayern Munich winger Luis Diaz. The German record champions signed the Colombian international from Liverpool for €75m only last summer. In his first year with the Bundesliga club, Diaz scored 26 goals and provided 23 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions. The French publication says the Saudi side’s bid is intended as an opening move to gain a foothold with the German giants.

Considering the 29-year-old’s value to the team, Diaz would normally be viewed as not for sale. Even so, one major factor could still alter that view. The player himself may be open to a change of surroundings and a fresh challenge, along with a significant pay rise if he moves to the Arabian Peninsula. A sale still does not appear probable when Bayern’s estimated €68.7m summer transfer deficit is taken into account after the arrivals of Nathaniel Brown and Ismael Saibari.

Offloading Diaz would balance that deficit, but it would also leave the Bavarians without enough money to bring in a replacement. In that situation, the fact that the transfer window stays open for another five weeks matters little. Arijon Ibrahimovic, who has recently returned from a loan spell at relegated Heidenheim, has been identified as Diaz’s long-term successor, but the 20-year-old will likely need another year, and possibly another development loan, before he can realistically be expected to fill Diaz’s big boots.