A year ago, Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield to be crowned Premier League champions, adding Arne Slott’s face to the glittering red flag.
The Dutchman is currently under fire and faces an end-of-season review, but how things have changed over the past 12 months. Word on the street is that he survived through the summer transfer window, working with Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes to strike a deal that is in line with Slott’s own vision.
Let’s hope that the hero of yesteryear has redeemed his faded image and now becomes the arbiter of a truly remarkable fall that has led to repeated calls for change.
When Slott and Mohamed Salah got into a public altercation after the defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in December, it looked as if one of them would have to make an exit. It turns out he is the club’s best forward in generations, and Slott and others need to find a successor.
Romano: Liverpool ‘calling’ for Salah replacement
Salah is irreplaceable, but Liverpool still need to be at their best this summer. Salah will leave the club and take home all 257 goals.
Even after last summer’s splurge, it’s clear that Liverpool need to sign a new goalscorer, given Hugo Ekitike’s Achilles injury and Alexander Isak’s struggles this season.
Liverpool top scorer (2025/26) | ||
|---|---|---|
player | app | the goal |
Hugo Ekitike | 45 | 17 |
mohamed salah | 39 | 12 |
Dominik Szoboszlai | 49 | 12 |
cody steele | 48 | 8 |
Florian Wirtz | 46 | 7 |
What Liverpool need is a new forward who can be part of a title-challenging team for years to come. Easier said than done, and with Bayern Munich’s Michael Oliseh ruled out, FSG are turning to another Bundesliga talent.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are “calling” RB Leipzig winger Yann Diomande, who has performed well in Germany this season.
Romano said: “PSG are interested, Bayern are also interested, and Liverpool are still interested in signing the player. Multiple clubs are looking to sign the player. Leipzig may keep him for another season and has a release clause until 2027.” “We are discussing the possibility of including him. Liverpool continue to track the player. Liverpool’s scouts have attended Leipzig’s last two games and are monitoring the player. Diomande will certainly be an interesting case to follow this summer.” window. ”
Leipzig are likely to double their hefty £87m valuation unless the Ivorian signs a new contract.
Why Diomande could be Liverpool’s new équitique
Diomand is only 19 years old and, let’s be honest, he’s still new to the senior stage. Last season, he played for Spanish side Leganes, but was a peripheral player until winning the manager’s trust late in the season.
He moved to Leipzig last year and has progressed at an astonishing rate. The French striker has improved in most areas since joining Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79m last year, and could be seen as an Ekitike imitator in that respect.
Ekitike is unlikely to feature again before the end of the year, a painful blow for the dynamic forward, but he will likely return in the near future to combine with Diomande in a much bigger and more expansive role than is required of them within Liverpool’s system.
This winger is not only flashy and ferocious, but also active defensively. In that regard, he will be a big change on Liverpool’s right flank next year.
Analyst Raj Chohan even predicted that the Ivorian would “play on both wings” in the Anfield side, asserting that a deal is probably already close to being finalized.
In fact, he is seen as Salah’s successor on the right and Diomande could use his Ekitike-like qualities to join as a young forward from Germany and quickly emerge as one of the slot’s most trusted attacking lieutenants.
League form comparison (2025/26) | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (* per 90) | Diomand | Salah |
Match (start) | 30(25) | 25(22) |
Goal + Assist | 12+7 | 7+6 |
touch* | 53.6 | 49.4 |
Number of shots (on target)* | 1.6 (0.8) | 2.6(0.7) |
missed a big opportunity | 5 | 11 |
Exact path* | 27.6 (85%) | 22.6 (76%) |
A big opportunity has arisen | 16 | 10 |
Key pass* | 1.8 | 1.9 |
Successful. dribble* | 3.6 (60%) | 0.6 (24%) |
Ball recovery rate* | 4.5 | 3.0 |
Tackle + Interception* | 1.4 | 0.8 |
Win a duel* | 5.7 (48%) | 2.2 (29%) |
Described by journalist Bence Boxark as a “generational talent”, Diomande is the real deal, and while we can’t expect him to perform with the same sharpness as Salah at his peak, he could emulate Ekitike in terms of heading in from Germany and making an immediate impact on teams in the slot.
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