Liverpool are plotting some new attacking additions this summer as they aim to supply Arne Slot with greater pace.
The wing positions have been a constant problem for the Reds this season, with neither Cody Gakpo nor Mohamed Salah blessed with the requisite amount of speed.
Hugo Ekitike is fast, but not lightning quick, and this has hampered Liverpool‘s ability to hit teams with pace on the counter-attack.
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Curtis Jones in action during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
Credit: Gaspafotos/MB Media/ Getty Images
The remit for this summer is clear, and it is one of the reasons why a move for RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande would make so much sense.
And while it has previously not been very ‘Liverpool’ to go for a high priced young player with so little experience under his belt, journalist David Lynch says the Reds are changing the way they operate, going after big talents earlier than previously, and this is making a deal for Diomande much more likely.
Liverpool definitely watching Yan Diomande
Speaking to Anfield Index, Lynch says that while he would previously have expected Liverpool to steer clear of Diomande for a couple of years longer, they are now willing to enter the market for young players of his ilk.
“A few years ago you’d say he’s only 19, he’s not got very many games behind him at all, not a big record of production but Liverpool kind of have to move earlier now because everybody else is moving earlier,” he said.
Yan Diomande in action for RB Leipzig during the Bundesliga match against FC Heidenheim
Photo by Oliver Hardt/Getty Images
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“Previously I would have said he’s not ready for Liverpool to spend big money on him now, but it’s very hard to predict that these days because the whole kind of approach has changed a little bit and they’re willing to go a little bit earlier.”
The journalist also confirmed that from his understanding, a winger is almost certain to be signed this summer, with Diomande being a ‘guaranteed’ candidate.
“Definitely Diomande is being watched really closely,” Lynch said. “That’s not to guarantee they will go for him, but he’s definitely on Liverpool’s radar, but he’s on the radar of a lot of clubs.”
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Ibrahima Konate battles with Brian Brobbey during Liverpool's Premier League match against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light (Credit: Getty Images/Stu Forster).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Stu Forster
“I can guarantee that he’s definitely being watched. The wing position is something Liverpool are eyeing now, I’d be surprised if next summer passes without a winger being added. So, he’s on that radar but it’s kind of up to him now to keep that level going to keep showing he’s ready to make that jump.”
Is Liverpool’s new approach the right way forward?
It has sometimes been a frustration for supporters that Liverpool have tended to operate fairly rigidly in the transfer market. The Reds have a very specific way of doing business and that has regularly paid off for them.
The market is quickly changing, though, and with fees getting bigger and bigger, it makes sense for Liverpool to pivot to younger players earlier.
The Reds are also in the middle of a big rebuild of the squad, and are clearly aiming to shape the next great Liverpool team.
That means bringing in young players who can grow together and spend years developing into a cohesive unit.
They have already secured Jeremy Jacquet to be a part of that alongside the likes of Giovanni Leoni, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike. A new winger looks like being the next target, and it could well be Diomande.
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