Yan Diomande may be Liverpool’s leading wide option this summer, but which players are potential alternatives if the move falls through?
For months now, Diomande has been mentioned as the Reds’ ideal successor to Mo Salah, following the Reds legend’s exit.
But despite being in a strong position to sign the Ivorian, Liverpool will be wary of the threat that Paris Saint-Germain currently pose.
Yan Diomande goal celebration (Photo by Tomasz Karczewski/Arena Akcji/Sipa USA) Credit: Sipa US/Alamy Live News
If the Reds end up missing out on Diomande, it is vital that a similarly young and gifted is brought in.
Here are the three players who the press have recently named as alternatives to Diomande.
Yankuba Minteh
Brighton and Hove Albion's Yankuba Minteh during the Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday May 25, 2025.
Player Profile: Yankuba Minteh
Full Name: Yankuba MintehAge: 21 (Jul 22, 2004)Height: 5’11” (180cm)Birthplace: Bakoteh, Gambia
Club: BrightonPosition: Right-WingerFoot: LeftContract Until: June 2029
Yankuba Minteh is a name known to Premier League fans and he is one of the options seen as a possible future Liverpool player.
The 21-year-old may have failed to score or assist against the Reds in four appearances, but his pace and directness have caused them issues.
Like Salah, Minteh’s ability to cut onto his left foot from the right wing is a potent weapon; he bagged three goals and four assists in the league last season.
The Gambian is still raw so he would be a work in progress at Liverpool, but that will also be the case with Diomande if he joins, as well as new signing Victor Munoz.
Minteh arguably doesn’t have as high a ceiling as Diomande, however, so bringing in the Ivory Coast international takes precedence.
Said El Mala
Player Profile: Said El Mala
Full Name: Said El MalaAge: 19 (Aug 26, 2006)Height: 6’0″ (183cm)Birthplace: Krefeld, Germany
Club: FC KolnPosition: Left-WingerFoot: Right2025/26 Goals/Assists: 13/5
Another name who has been thrown into the hat is that of Said El Mala, who is making waves at Koln in Germany.
Just 19 years old, the winger already has an impressive return of 13 goal in 36 games – one every three matches – and he is also a seven-cap Germany U21 international.
El Mala certainly isn’t without high-profile admirers, with Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany speaking highly of him last season.
“This kid has this initial acceleration and then a second burst of speed that surprises many defenders,” Kompany said.
“He can shoot from that high speed. That feeling of being inactive and then suddenly launching a full-scale counter-attack is, of course, a quality you can use throughout your entire career.”
El Mala is more of a left-sided option and a centre forward, however, so he wouldn’t necessarily be the natural Salah replacement in the way that Diomande is.
Matias Fernandez-Pardo
Player Profile: Matias Fernandez-Pardo
Full Name: Matias Fernandez-PardoAge: 21 (Feb 3, 2005)Height: 6’0″ (183cm)Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium
Club: LillePosition: Centre-ForwardFoot: Right2025/26 Goals/Assists: 8/7
Matias Fernandez-Pardo may not yet be a household name, but he is a young attacking player on the rise and is another rumoured option for Liverpool.
The 21-year-old already has 23 goal involvements in 71 appearances for Lille – 12 goals, 11 assists – and he has three caps for Belgium, featuring against Salah’s Egypt at the 2026 World Cup.
Fernandez-Pardo is hugely versatile, playing mostly as a centre forward last season, but also doing a job on either flank.
That could appeal to Andoni Iraola, giving him added depth across the attack. Like Minteh and El Mala, his best years are ahead of him.
There is a belief that Fernandez-Pardo could follow in the footsteps of two other great Lille youth products, Eden Hazard and Rafael Leao, so it is easy to see why Liverpool are linked.