'I could've replaced Mo Salah at Liverpool this time last year - now I've hit rock bottom'

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Real Madrid and Morocco star Brahim Diaz will long be remembered for his dismal penalty miss during his country's Africa Cup of Nations final loss. But just 12 months prior, he was touted to replace Mohamed Salah at Liverpool .

The Spanish-born 26-year-old was a product of Manchester City's academy, having joined the club from hometown Malaga at the age of 16. He left in 2019 for Real Madrid and has been at the Bernabeu since, having been loaned out to AC Milan for three seasons from 2020 to 2023.

It was two years ago that Diaz switched allegiances to Morocco, and he starred for the country at AFCON, finishing as the competition's top scorer. However, his name will forever be synonymous with a chaotic final , in which a disallowed Senegal goal and late controversial Morocco penalty decision saw Diaz's opponents walk off the pitch for a brief period .

Diaz was eventually handed the questionable spot kick and produced an even more questionable decision, opting to panenka the penalty right into the grateful arms of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. He was spotted on the bench after being substituted in extra time in tears as his nation lost 1-0 .

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But only one year ago, Diaz was surrounded by a much more positive narrative. Liverpool talisman Salah had yet to pen a new deal at Anfield, and the highly rated Diaz was being mooted as his successor.

In January 2025, eventual Premier League champions Liverpool were on a roll, but Anfield was abuzz with talks surrounding star forward Salah .

The Egyptian was nearing the end of his contract and negotiations over a new deal had stalled, causing quite a stir . The club reportedly set their sights on the transfer market for a player who could replace Salah.

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Diaz was one star supposedly singled out by the Reds , as he can operate in a wide position as well as drifting inside. They faced competition from both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund for his signature.

In the end, Salah renewed his stay at Liverpool for another two years , and he has since found himself out of favour under Arne Slot . He could end up departing in the near future on the back of a scathing 2025 interview in which he claimed he had been thrown under the bus and someone at the club wanted him gone.

Diaz, on the other hand, remained a Real Madrid player and is still part of the first-team squad, mainly finding minutes off the bench. He has started just three La Liga games this season.

Yet for some time, his debatable penalty decision at AFCON for Morocco will be what Diaz is known for, and after the error, he released an apologetic statement .

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"I failed and I take full responsibility and apologise with all my heart," Diaz said. "It will be hard for me to recover because this wound does not heal easily, but I will try.

"Not for myself, but for all who believed in me and for all who suffered with me. I will keep going until someday I can give back all this love and be a pride for my Moroccan people."

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