Liverpool’s dream attack next season with £87m Mo Salah replacement | Football | Sport
Mohamed Salah has left a big void to fill at Liverpool. (Image: Getty)
The Premier League’s final day saw Liverpool secure their Champions League qualification, and attention has now shifted firmly to the summer window. Further investment may well be required despite the considerable outlay made during last summer’s transfer activity.
Arne Slot endured a difficult second campaign in charge, and the pressure will be firmly on to make the right calls in the transfer market. There may have been extenuating circumstances across the squad, but the Reds’ title defence fell well short of satisfying the expectations of a large portion of the fanbase.
It has already been confirmed that Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson will not be at Anfield next season, with the Premier League and Champions League-winning duo saying their goodbyes on Sunday. Further departures could follow, though finding a replacement for Salah is likely to sit at the very top of the club’s list of priorities.
So what could this summer realistically look like from Liverpool‘s standpoint? We’ve taken a closer look at the attacking options in particular.
One name that has consistently cropped up in connection with Liverpool is Yan Diomande. The Ivorian winger has flourished during his debut season at RB Leipzig, registering 12 goals and nine assists across 33 Bundesliga appearances.
Leipzig have secured their spot in next season’s Champions League, which should provide them with considerable negotiating leverage, as should reported interest from other clubs including Bayern Munich and PSG.
The German outfit are demanding £87m, a valuation which is unlikely to drop if he enjoys an impressive World Cup, where Ivory Coast have been placed in a group alongside Germany, Curacao and Ecuador.
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There are alternative options under consideration. One such candidate is Jarrod Bowen, who could be available for a relatively modest fee following West Ham’s relegation, which was confirmed on Sunday.
Bowen possesses a profile similar to Salah’s as a wide forward capable of providing a goalscoring threat from the right or operating centrally. He is 10 years senior to Diomande, however, and this would probably be reflected in both the valuation this summer and any future resale value.
The arrival of a goalscorer and creator like Diomande should prove positive news for Alexander Isak. It’s fair to suggest the £125m Swede didn’t enjoy the debut campaign he envisaged following a club-record transfer, but a complete pre-season should prove beneficial.
Yan Diomande is a top Liverpool target. (Image: Getty)
With Hugo Ekitike not expected to return until January at the earliest, Isak should have an unobstructed opportunity at the number nine role. The subsequent question revolves around who else will provide assistance.
Rio Ngumoha may not turn 18 until August, yet he has already begun staking his claim for a starting berth on the left, or at the very least a more prominent rotation with Cody Gakpo than was afforded to him this season.
The teenager is set to link up with England’s pre-World Cup training camp — albeit not as a full squad member — and the additional exposure at that level can only serve to benefit his development.
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All of this would enable Florian Wirtz to operate as an inventive number 10 within an ambitious front four during matches where Liverpool expect to dominate possession. Reinforcements may well be required behind him, however, and not solely in the form of incoming centre-back Jeremy Jacquet.
There could also be scope to move on those further from regular first-team action, particularly if fees can be secured for the likes of Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa. A case could even be made for entertaining offers for Gakpo, with Ngumoha rapidly pressing his claim for more consistent minutes.
Such a departure would necessitate another addition on the left flank to provide competition for the youngster, with Hoffenheim’s Bazoumana Toure and Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola amongst those touted as potential targets.
Tentative links have also emerged with Sporting CP star Francisco Trincao — who previously spent a year in the Premier League with Wolves — the Portugal international equally capable of sharing duties with Wirtz in the number 10 role.
Liverpool’s dream attack for next season: Ngumoha, Wirtz, Diomande; Isak.
