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Former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur defender Jason Cundy has ripped into PSG star Neymar, calling him 'overrated', while praising Liverpool's Luis Diaz.
The Brazilian has endured a difficult 2021-22 campaign due to injury, bagging11 goals and make six assists in 20 Ligue 1 games. He's the most prolific player in the squad after only Kylian Mbappe, but Cundy isn't impressed with his stats.
The 52-year-old prefers Liverpool striker Luis Diaz over Neymar, heaping praise on the Colombian for his impact at Merseyside. Arriving on a £37.5 million transfer from Porto in January, Diaz has scored seven times and made three assists in 21 appearances across competitions.
He was most recently on target against Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League semifinals second leg. That helped Jurgen Klopp's troops come back into the tie after falling 2-0 behind on the night, eventually winning 5-2 on aggregate.
Diaz appears to have settled in well at Liverpool. Cundy was effusive in his praise of the 25-year-old while comparing him to Neymar. Speaking on talkSPORT, he said:
"I'd rather have Diaz than Neymar, that's for sure, Goddamn right I would. Don't put him in the same bracket as Neymar; Neymar is overrated! It's his (Diaz's) first season, the first game he played, I remember, he came off or he started, he was brilliant. He has adapted to life in the Premier League and literally just taken to it - he is Liverpool through and through."
While Neymar boasts the better head-to-head stats, Diaz switched leagues mid-season and has acclimatised to his new surroundings like a fish to water. Besides goals and assists, the Colombian has also garnered praise for his drive, pace and pressing, looking like a typical Klopp-player. However, some rival fans aren't impressed with the player yet, calling him 'overrated'.
Liverpool star Luis Diaz makes case to start in UEFA Champions League final
Diaz's impact at Liverpool is growing, and there's a case for him to start in the UEFA Champions League final in Paris against either Manchester City or Real Madrid.
Starting in 13 of his 21 appearances so far, Diaz has already shown that he has become a Klopp-favourite.
After his goal at the Ceramica last night, Diaz has bolstered his chances of starting in the Paris showpiece.
He's in a good run of form and contributes in team play by dropping behind, linking passes and leading the press from the wings. Diaz has induced renewed vigour into the Reds' attack and might be given a go from the start in the final.
