Liverpool head coach Arne Slot could look to bring in attacking reinforcements in January.placeholder image
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot could look to bring in attacking reinforcements in January. | AFP via Getty Images
Liverpool have been linked with a big-money duo who could usher in a new era of Anfield success
Liverpool head into 2026 with multiple areas of the team which need addressing as Arne Slot looks to improve his squad for both the short and long term.
The Reds went powerfully into the summer transfer window and ended it with a record-breaking spend of over £400million, which included twice breaking the British transfer record in one window.
But yet, the rapid change over the summer left the champions looking more disjointed than before, with a dismal autumn run curtailing their hopes at a title defence. A long-term injury to £125m man Alexander Isak and off-field issues involving Mohamed Salah have given Slot an increasing problem ahead of January.
Whether Liverpool spend big in the winter likely depends on market opportunity, but the Reds would be smart to future-proof their side with the signings of a big-money pair who could see Slot’s men dominate on multiple fronts for years to come.
£130m teenage duo touted for Liverpool moves - reports
According to the Daily Mail and as previously relayed by LiverpoolWorld, Liverpool are interested in teenage Bundesliga duo Yan Diomande and Said El Mala, with reports saying the Reds ‘have watched’ both players amidst the belief that a new forward option is needed.
But in 19-year-old pair Diomande and El Mala, they may have stumbled across two young starlets with the potential to exceed anyone else currently on the market.
Ivory Coast international Diomande is currently away competing at his first AFCON following a break-out season for RB Leipzig, for whom he has bagged seven goals and four assists since arriving from La Liga side Leganes in the summer.
El Mala, meanwhile, may not have hit the headlines of Diomande but he has had an equally impressive breakout campaign for Koln. Also 19, the Germany Under-21 international has bagged six goals and three assists and usually plays on the opposite side to Diomande, operating from the left wing.
Described as a “young jewel” by Leipzig managing director Marcel Schafer, Diomande is believed to be valued at €100m (£86m) – though contrasting reports state his valuation may be closer to £52m - £61m – while El Mala is thought to be available for around £44m, which could lead to a massive £130m outlay for the two teenagers in a major double deal.
Double deal could see Reds dominate for years to come
Securing a long-term replacement for Salah and future-proofing the Liverpool attack for years to come needs to be a top priority for Slot. Spotting players with an immense future in the game is the way to ensure that the Reds continue to dominate the Premier League, and that is the approach the Dutchman appears to be taking.
Diomande has exceptional take-on numbers – 4.08 successful take-ons per game, putting him in the top 1% of wingers in the top five leagues in Europe – in addition to similar prowess in progressive carries and interceptions, for both of which he ranks in the top 3% amongst wingers.
Often operating from the right but comfortable playing on both sides, he would offer a dynamism and dribbling prowess which have been lacked at times in the absence of Luis Diaz, and with the disappointing performances of Salah. Not to mention, Diomande became the second-youngest player in Bundesliga history to score a hat-trick when he bagged a treble against Hugo Ekitike’s former club Eintracht Frankfurt in December.
Also known for his dribbling skills and immense pace, El Mala has already received a senior Germany call-up and is seen as a strong candidate to make their World Cup squad next summer. The teenager scored 13 times in Germany’s third tier on loan at former club Viktoria Koln last season and has stepped up effortlessly to the Bundesliga this term.
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