Luis Diaz faces financial penalties from Bayern Munich if he fails to make progress learning German, according to reports. The Colombian winger, who joined the Bundesliga club from Liverpool for £65.5 million last summer, has a clause in his contract requiring him to attend two to three language lessons per week.
German outlet BILD reports that non-compliance with the language lessons can result in fines ranging from €5,000 (£4,400) to €50,000 (£44,000), depending on the level of adherence. The clause applies to all non-German speaking signings at the club.
Diaz has struggled with language barriers before, having relied on Spanish-speaking teammates such as Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez during his time at Liverpool. He admitted to Sky Sports: "The most difficult thing for me and my family was, and still is, certainly the language."
Upon his arrival at Bayern, Portugal international Joao Palhinha acted as a translator, but he left for Tottenham shortly after. Vice-captain Joshua Kimmich has since taken on the role, stating: "We have a few guys who can speak a bit of Spanish. His English is also okay. So we're managing that as a team."
Despite the off-pitch challenges, Diaz has been in impressive form, scoring 19 goals and providing 15 assists in 33 appearances across all competitions. Bayern currently top the Bundesliga and finished second behind Arsenal in the Champions League league phase.
