Liverpool line up £87m winger ‘destined to be special’

So Mohamed Salah returned from the African Cup of Nations this week and played the full game as Liverpool beat Marseille in the Champions League.

But the 33-year-old was fooled by the hype, missing out on some golden chances and simply struggling with fluency down the right.

It has been a tough season for Liverpool, but Salah has been at the center of their woes, with his explosive falling out with Arne Slott in December leading many to believe he may be headed for an exit.

The Saudi Pro League welcomes the King of Egypt, the definitive superstar of this glorious era on Merseyside. Salah earns £400,000 a week and has a contract with Liverpool until 2027, but he could be looking at the final part of his career at Anfield.

How will Liverpool deal with Salah’s departure?

Salah’s situation at Liverpool is complicated by the growing interest in Federico Chiesa, who has struggled to maintain his form while being chased by Juventus and unable to take on a starting role in the slot system.

The Premier League champions have been far from their best this season, but Salah’s slump and the sale of Luis Diaz last summer without bringing in an equivalent player could be rectified with a successful attacking signing in 2026.

Sporting director Richard Hughes has identified a number of targets over the past few months, but RB Leipzig’s Yann Diomande has emerged as the frontrunner, according to Reds correspondent Lewis Steele.

Diomande, 19, has been one of the standout players in the Bundesliga this season and his performances have attracted plenty of suitors for his slot in the transfer market.

However, the Bundesliga side has no interest in selling him in January. The player’s transfer fee is believed to be £100m, suggesting Liverpool are interested now and are making a long-term move to lure the 19-year-old prospect before launching a big-money bid this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are also said to have a vested interest, but Diomande himself admits that he was a Liverpool fan as a boy and dreamed of playing at Anfield.

What Diomande brings to Liverpool

Diomande, described by journalist Bence Boksak as a “generational talent”, joined the German from La Liga side Leganes last summer and has been a big hit for Leipzig this season.

Diomande, who returned from an AFCON campaign with Ivory Coast that only confirmed the hype surrounding his signing, has scored seven goals and provided three assists for Leipzig this season, with Boksak also saying he is “destined to be special”.

Although he can play on the left, the teenager has also proven to be very capable on the right and could have established himself as Salah’s perfect successor, especially considering the club legend’s likely departure later this year.

Salah’s last season was an extraordinary effort. He scored 19 goals and provided 18 assists in the Premier League, helping Slots win the title. Since the summer, he has probably used up some of the qualities he had left in the year, as he has been far removed from last year’s level.

Wasteful in front of goal and powerless in transition, Salah is currently the opposite of Diomande, and his exploits in the Bundesliga have far outstripped the Liverpool icon.

Diomand is young, but youth comes with risks, especially when such a stalwart is involved. However, it is clear that the Ivorian is a top talent and one who is sure to secure a talismanic spot on Liverpool’s wing for years to come.

Salah is a legend and an integral part of wearing a Liverpool shirt, but Diomande is his own player, with a natural sense of goal and the perfect complement to his fast-paced, electric dribbling style, and is just starting to hit his stride.

Diomande, who is a “monster” in one-on-one situations, will sign a statement and then sign some players from Liverpool, as suggested by analyst Marcus Bulling, and they need to get that done.