Liverpool have now made contact to sign an "electric" £35m forward, and an intense bidding war with Newcastle United is in the offing.
Reds make approach to sign new forward amid Salah and Gakpo uncertainty
The Reds have now stepped up their interest in signing a new forward, with former scout Mick Brown suggesting they could be willing to offload either Cody Gakpo or Mohamed Salah in the summer transfer window.
Brown said: "After everything that happened last summer and the chaos of it all, I can’t see Liverpool letting more than one attacker leave. Otherwise it just adds to the unsettled feeling.
"A lot will depend on what happens with Salah. If he leaves, I expect they’ll keep Gakpo, and if he stays then maybe Gakpo will go instead."
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian has returned to form over the past few weeks, scoring in both matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but a replacement may need to be brought in sooner rather than later, with his contract set to expire at the end of next season.
Amid doubts over Salah's future, Liverpool have now made an approach to sign a new forward, with a report from Fussballdaten revealing they are in close contact to sign Al-Ittihad star Moussa Diaby, but there could be fierce competition for his signature.
The likes of Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also in the race for Diaby's signature, and an intense bidding war with the Magpies could be on the cards, as they have also made contact about a deal.
It may take a fee of at least €40m (£35m) to prise the Frenchman away from Al-Ittihad, with a loan with an option to buy deal is on the table too.
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Liverpool have set their sights on a talented youngster and plan to make their move during the summer transfer window.
"Electric" Diaby could be excellent signing for Liverpool
The 26-year-old certainly impressed during his previous stint in the Premier League, receiving high praise from Statman Dave after catching the eye with Aston Villa during the 2023-24 campaign.
The former Villa star has since gone on to become a key player for Al-Ittihad, chipping in with 16 goal contributions across all competitions for the Saudi Pro League side this season.
Moussa Diaby's stats this season Appearances Goal involvements
Saudi Pro League 24 8
AFC Champions League 7 6
King's Cup 1 1
Saudi Super Cup 1 1
The 11-time France international remains relatively inexperienced at the top level, having spent the past two seasons in Saudi Arabia, but he racked up 21 goal contributions in all competitions during his only campaign at Aston Villa, which indicates he could be an excellent signing for Liverpool.