Liverpool fans have been lucky enough to witness countless world-class talents at Anfield over the years, but it’s often the impact of their attacking options that leaves the biggest impact.
Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah were part of Jurgen Klopp’s iconic front three and helped the Reds win the Premier League and Champions League titles under the German manager.
However, for the first time since 2014, none of the aforementioned trio will be at Merseyside next season after Merseyside announced that they would be leaving on a free transfer this summer.
New manager Andoni Iraola has been tasked with building the infamous attacking trio at Anfield after being announced as Arne Slott’s replacement in the dugout.
The Spaniard is known for his heavy metal, forward-thinking football at Bournemouth and will be keen to introduce such tactics to the Reds’ squad for the 2026/27 season.
Liverpool to bid for £120m star this week
If Iraola wants to make an immediate impact as Liverpool manager, he may need to make a number of attacking additions in the upcoming transfer window to aid his quest.
PSG winger Bradley Barcola has been mentioned as one of the Reds’ potential options this summer after falling behind Kviča Kvaratschelia in manager Luis Enrique’s pecking order.
The French club are willing to let the 23-year-old go this summer, but could demand as much as £86m if they let him go in the next period.
As a result, other forward options continue to be pursued, with RB Leipzig winger Yann Diomande remaining Iraola’s top transfer target this summer.
According to writer Wilson Cox, Liverpool are expected to make an offer for the Ivorian international to the Bundesliga side “this week” after months of intensive scouting.
He added that negotiations between the two clubs are progressing well, but noted that PSG is another club that could sign the 19-year-old in the near future.
The player himself is said to be open to an offer to join the Reds this summer, but his current employers are said to want around £120m before allowing him to leave.
Why Ngmoha likes Diomande moving to Liverpool
The 2025/26 season may have been a memorable one for Liverpool, but it was also one to remember for teenager Rio Ngmoja, who had a breakthrough season with the first team.
The 17-year-old played 19 league games for the Reds this season, scoring his first goal for the club after coming on as a substitute, before scoring in the win against Newcastle United in August.
Supporters had been clamoring for more from the Englishman under Slott, but his refusal to use the teen star was just part of his downfall at Anfield.
Most PL minutes played by U18 talents (2025/26) | |
|---|---|
player | tally |
Matthew Main | 1795 |
Ngumoha River | 560 |
Max Dauman | 157 |
harry howell | 94 |
Jinmu Kasa | 27 |
Bendito Mantato | 16 |
Joel Drakes-Thomas | 9 |
Shumaila Muuka | 2 |
However, his recent form has not gone unnoticed as manager Thomas Tuchel has asked Ngmoha to join the England squad in preparation for this summer’s World Cup.
The youngster came on in the second half of Saturday’s win over New Zealand, picking up the Player of the Match award in the process.
Despite his young age, Ngmoha will undoubtedly play a senior role under Iraola next term and could form a lethal partnership with Diomande if he completes his own transfer.
The Ivorian has developed into one of Europe’s leading talents in recent months and his stats in recent campaigns highlight why he could develop alongside Liverpool’s teenager.
Despite the 2025/26 season being his first full season in one of Europe’s top five leagues, Diomande created an impressive 2.1 chances per 90 games, ranking him in the top 15% of all European attackers.
The aforementioned performance highlights his ability to cause carnage within attacking areas of the pitch, and Ngmoha could be the beneficiary of his endless chance creation.
The RB Leipzig star has achieved an impressive 4.3 successful dribbles per 90 in the Bundesliga this season, the highest of any player in his division.
His wandering runs have helped him land a key position in Germany this season, and added to his final output, as evidenced by his eight assists this term.
Ngmoha could once again be at the end of a defense-splitting pass at Anfield, and the Reds’ top brass will need to do everything in their power to secure the youngster’s signature.
Signing RB Leipzig’s star players this summer may cost a small fortune, but Iraola will have two teenage stars with whom he can develop for at least the next 10 years.
The aforementioned pair are already world-class talents and could even reach the next level in their respective development alongside each other on Merseyside.
But even in the near future, both players have the necessary tools to help Iraola challenge for the Premier League title in their first year at Anfield.
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