The dust has settled at Liverpool, with Arne Slot era in the past and Andoni Iraola already at work at Anfield as he prepares to lead the latest chapter on Merseyside.
Liverpool have weathered storms before, and there's a general acceptance that change was needed after such a dismal year.
After that giddy first season, Slot would be fair in arguing that he had been dealt a tough hand, but the Dutchman still failed to make good use of the cards available to him, and Liverpool only scraped Champions League football on the final day of the Premier League term, defeating Brentford at Anfield.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot reacts during the match
Would it be fair to argue that Liverpool lost their way under Slot's management? Perhaps it would, but while there is a fresh face in the dugout, FSG's transfer focus remains the same, with a bid for Yan Diomande still expected in the coming weeks.
Liverpool leading the race for Portuguese winger
For a nine-digit figure, there's no question that signing Diomande amounts to something of a risk for Liverpool. But the 19-year-old's world-class potential is evident, and his breakout year with RB Leipzig in Germany suggests he would be capable of replacing Mohamed Salah.
Club-to-club talks have been initiated, but it's crucial to remember that Liverpool need several forwards on top of further additions across the park.
According to Record in Portugal, via TEAMtalk, Liverpool have emerged as frontrunners in the race to sign Francisco Trincao from Sporting CP, and it's interesting to note that the deal could be alongside one for Diomande.
francisco-trincao-sporting
Indeed, Trincao is not a Diomande alternative, but the £52m-rated Portuguese could still end up being a better signing than the Leipzig star, more experienced and with previous experience in England.
Not to mention, he could arrive for about half of the Ivory Coast international's price.
Why Trincao could be a better signing than Diomande for Liverpool
Trincao cut his teeth in the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and though he failed to establish himself in the English game back then, you need only look at Vitinha's rise to world-class status with Paris Saint-Germain to note how Wolves prospects are more often than not worth investing in.
Trincao is less dynamic and athletic than Diomande, but he's also more of a natural playmaker, and in that, he could be perfect for the likes of Alexander Isak, who fell so heavily by the wayside last season and who will be expected to step up and provide as Liverpool's goalscoring talisman during 2026/27.
Once hailed by The Athletic's Tim Spiers for his "unbelievable" potential, Trincao has now established himself for club and country. Aged 26, he is in the prime of his career, and in the Champions League this year, he proved he can throw down with the best of them, notching seven goal involvements, completing 61% of his dribbles and winning over four duels per game.
League Comparison (2025/26)
Stats (* per 90)
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Shots (on target)*
Big chances missed
Accurate passes*
Big chances created
Key passes*
Succ. dribbles*
Recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Duels won*
Diomande and Trincao are not similar players. Perhaps that only strengthens FSG's case and outlines exactly why both right siders are coveted this summer.
Only one year ago, Liverpool spent £116m to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. The German is one of the most talented players of his generation, but he didn't enjoy the most fruitful of maiden years on Merseyside, and Diomande, who is still only a teenager, could suffer a similar fate - especially when considering the weight of replacing Salah out on the right.
Sporting CP's Francisco Trincao in action with Arsenal's Declan Rice
Both Trincao and Diomande have the quality to make a real difference at Liverpool over the coming years, fit and fiery enough to slot right into Iraola's high-intensity system.
But given there is a certain shrewdness to Trincao's price tag, and his prior experience in the English game, he could end up surprising a few by making the bigger waves at Liverpool.
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