Liverpool will be assessing their options and deciding what they want to do with their squad now that the January transfer window is officially open for business.
A new central defender appears to be high on the agenda for the reigning Premier League champions, as they are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordonez for £43m.
joel-ordonez-aston-villa
The Ecuador international is set to arrive at Anfield to compete with Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk for a place at the heart of the defence, but he should not be the only signing of the month for Arne Slot.
Liverpool keeping tabs on Bundesliga forward
Ordonez may not be the only addition of the month for the Premier League giants, as they are reportedly eyeing a forward from the Bundesliga.
According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are in the market for centre-back and forward options, whilst they look set to miss out on a deal for Antoine Semenyo, who is set to sign for Manchester City.
The report claims that the Reds are looking at RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, possibly as an alternative to Semenyo, with the January transfer window now open for business.
yan-diomande-rb-leipzig-man-city
It reveals that the club have sent scouts to watch the Ivorian talent, who is currently at the African Cup of Nations, in action in the 2025/26 campaign, ahead of a possible swoop for his services.
The Daily Mail does not state how much Leipzig would demand for the 19-year-old wing wizard, but The Guardian recently claimed that it would take a fee of £87m to tempt them into cashing in on him.
Why Liverpool must sign Diomande
Football FanCast published an article after the 0-0 draw with Leeds United explaining why Florian Wirtz should play further back in the team, instead of as a direct attacker on the left wing.
Florian-Wirtz
Playing the £116m summer signing in a deep-lying midfield role, though, would leave Cody Gakpo as the only senior, experienced, left wing option, and he has been inconsistent this season.
The Dutchman started the campaign in fine form, with four goals and three assists in the first 11 competitive games after the Community Shield, but it has been downhill since then for the Netherlands international.
|Cody Gakpo (25/26 season)|
|Stats|First 11 games|Last 11 games|
|---|
|Starts|10|7|
|Goals|4|1|
|Key passes|25|13|
|Big chances created|8|4|
|Assists|3|1|
|Stats via Sofascore|
As you can see in the table above, Gakpo has failed to make much of an impact in the final third in the last 11 matches in all competitions, with both of his goal contributions coming in a win over West Ham United, who are in the relegation zone.
That is why Liverpool should push to seal a deal for Diomande this month because the Ivorian forward could come in and be their first-choice option on the wing.
RB Leipzig's Christoph Baumgartner celebrates scoring their second goal with Yan Diomande, Conrad Harder and Kosta Nedeljkovic
U23 scout Antoino Mango described the teenage star as a defender's "nightmare" and as a "crazy speedster" who can provide a constant threat down the flank, which is backed up by his form in the Bundesliga this season.
Diomande has scored six goals from 3.16 xG and provided two assists in ten starts in the Bundesliga so far this season, per Sofascore, and has not gone more than two games without a goal contribution in his last nine appearances.
The versatile forward, who can play on the left or the right flank, has also scored one goal and provided one assist in two appearances in the DFB Pokal for Leipzig, taking his tally to seven goals and three assists this season.
Meanwhile, Gakpo, who is seven years older than him, has only scored five goals in 22 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool, per Sofascore, so far this term.
Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo
These statistics suggest that Diomande could immediately offer a greater threat, as well as greater consistency, in the final third on the wing as a replacement for the Dutchman if Liverpool can get a deal done for him this month.
Signing a 19-year-old to be his immediate successor and an upgrade on him could spell bad news for his future at Anfield, too, as it may raise doubts about his place in the squad moving forward, because his game time could be limited by the arrival of a superior player.
Arne-Slot Related
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This means that an £87m swoop to bolster Slot's squad with Diomande this month could spell the beginning of the end for Gakpo's time at the club.