It's the start of a new era at Liverpool. FSG have bitten the bullet and replaced Arne Slot with Andoni Iraola, who has to deal with the exit of Mohamed Salah off the bat.
Salah's final campaign at Liverpool was a difficult one, the Egyptian King having fallen from his throne. Still, he was struggling in a dysfunctional tactical set-up, and, aged 33, lacked his former vim and vigour on the Anfield right.
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Change is afoot, but Liverpool and FSG know that every move they make must be taken with absolute precision. Slot and his squad might have qualified for the Champions League, but they danced with disaster in the closing weeks of the term, and Iraola needs to oversee significant improvements.
Liverpool make big-money offer to Salah replacement
Salah was always going to have to bow out at some stage, and now, Liverpool have the opportunity to welcome a much younger and robust replacement.
Iraola will bring some much-needed intensity and attacking focus to Anfield, but he can only do so much with the tools provided, and Liverpool need to sign a winger to propel them back into the limelight.
Of course, finding someone to replace Salah will be difficult, albeit not impossible.
According to Fabrizio Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, Liverpool have made an opening offer to the representatives of RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, who has emerged as their top target this summer.
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Romano said: "Yan Diomande is one of the most exciting and electrifying wingers on the market. He’s wanted by Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain. Both clubs are still in the mix. Liverpool are really pushing, Liverpool are really insisting to make it happen.
"For Liverpool, he’s a top, top priority. They are offering important money to the player to get it done."
Valued as high as £120m, this is hardly going to be an easy one to get over the line, but Liverpool's interest is genuine, and with Paris Saint-Germain also in the mix, this is going to require every ounce of wherewithal and shrewdness from the likes of Michael Edwards and Anfield sporting director Richard Hughes.
Liverpool could upgrade on Salah with Diomande
Diomande is only 19, but he has taken the Bundesliga by storm since leaving Leganes in Spain and establishing himself as one of the most exciting prospects in Europe. Across all competitions this year, he scored 13 goals and supplied ten assists.
That's not world-beating stuff, but his output only tells half the story. Diomande is the real deal, already hailed as a "superstar" of a forward by journalist Bence Bocsak.
Salah's Liverpool exit has been a deeply poignant thing, with the veteran forward perhaps the definitive superstar of the last decade of success on Merseyside.
Replacing him was never going to be straightforward, but if Liverpool sign Diomande, they might just land a winger who can withstand the pressure of the Premier League and redefine Liverpool's attack.
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*
Salah is a Premier League legend, one of the greatest forwards in the competition's history. But he slumped from his sky-high standards this year, perhaps at rest after delivering the Reds their first title in a post Jurgen Klopp world.
Will Diomande match prime Salah's output in front of goal? No, let's just make it clear now, he will not. But that's okay. Salah is one-of-a-kind in that regard, and Diomande could pack a considerable punch in terms of his creative and physical metrics.
Alexander Isak will be tasked with raking in the goals next year, and Diomande could service the Swedish striker perfectly, combining with him and utilising his pace and playmaking skills to rekindle Liverpool's attacking structure.
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Salah is irreplaceable, but Diomande would bring a different flavour to Liverpool's frontline. Given that 'Iraola-ball' will give rise to a more intense and high-octane system, Liverpool might just find they hit the jackpot with the Ivorian, replacing Salah with a winger who is very much his own.
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