Liverpool are poised to target new signings on the wing following the departure of Mohamed Salah and RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande is among those on their shortlist
Yan Diomande is among the players on Liverpool's radar
Yan Diomande is among the players on Liverpool's radar(Image: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Liverpool are eyeing up several players as they seek to fill the void left by Mohamed Salah with RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande high on their wishlist.
The winger has continued to flourish in Germany, attracting plenty of attention, and the Reds see him as an ideal replacement on their right flank. Salah leaves as the club's third greatest goalscorer ever and whilst his last year was underwhelming, he will remain a huge presence that needs replacing.
Diomande, who is just 19 but already had nine caps for the Ivory Coast, had 23 goal involvements over the last campaign and has a release clause of around £86million.
Leipzig's model sees them sign young players before developing them and selling them on for major profit and they have struck several deals with Liverpool in the past - Naby Keita and Dominik Szoboszlai among the names to move between the sides.
Diomande scored 13 times this year and has been viewed by Liverpool with the Telegraph reporting that the Reds believe they can potentially lower his huge price tag by striking a player-plus-cash deal.
Diomande is a top target but the Merseysiders are equally keeping tabs on alternatives. Anthony Gordon's Newcastle future remains unclear amid suggestions they will have to sell one of their top players. He was linked with Liverpool several years ago and is a boyhood fan.
Another player on their radar is PSG's Bradley Barcola, who has helped the French side knock Liverpool out of the Champions League in successive seasons. He has been heavily discussed as a possible transfer but the club opted against acting 12 months ago to ensure Rio Ngumoha's route to the first-team wasn't blocked off.
Mohamed Salah waved goodbye to Anfield on Sunday
Mohamed Salah waved goodbye to Anfield on Sunday(Image: (Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
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Arne Slot accepts that winger are a huge part of the club's DNA and, as well as losing Salah, they sold Luis Diaz 12 months ago. He said on their recruitment plan: “One of the reasons why everyone is talking about wingers is because Mo is leaving. It makes complete sense to think about [signing] at least one. I think last season gives you the answer. How important were our wingers last season for our success?
“They were scoring goals, providing goals, so they were a vital part of us winning the league last season and, in general in football, you see more and more focus on wingers. One of the reasons why we were so difficult to play against was because we had threats over on the right and the left side."
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