Liverpool are currently working hard to sign a forward with “Sadio Mane’s decisiveness” and manager Richard Hughes believes this summer is the best chance to get him over the line and seal a deal.
Reds eye new forward who could be Andoni Iraola’s first signing
Andoni Iraola now appears poised to replace Arne Slott in the Anfield dugout, but the Dutchman was sacked after failing to win a trophy in his second season at the club, but Jamie Carragher is not entirely convinced the former AFC Bournemouth manager is the right man for the role.
Carragher is a fan of Iraora’s “high-intensity” football, but has concerns about whether that style can be replicated on Merseyside.
“My worry is can we play at that intensity when we are playing every three days, whereas at Bournemouth we were only playing once a week? That’s completely different.
“Whenever you bring in a manager to a top English club, you always think, ‘Can he win the league?’
“That’s a big question mark for him or any manager coming in. But Liverpool had a manager who had won the league, so that was always something I was wondering about.”
Liverpool step up their search for new forwards
TEAMtalk reports that Hughes is currently working on appointing Iraola, while Liverpool’s sporting director is also keen to sign RB Leipzig forward Yann Diomande, which could cost around £87m.
The next transfer window is thought to be the best opportunity for the Reds to sign top target Diomande, and the Reds are keen to get a deal done as the winger has room to move on, despite Leipzig being keen to sign him to a new deal.
Bayern Munich are also keen to sign the 19-year-old, and while the Bundesliga champions are willing to wait until next summer, that could be a good fit for Leipzig who want to keep their youngster for at least another year.
Redmen TV’s Dan Clave suggested the teenager has “Sadio Mane’s decisiveness”, which is very interesting considering the Senegalese forward scored 120 goals in 269 games during an impressive stint on Merseyside.
Diomande, on the other hand, had an excellent debut season in the Bundesliga, scoring 12 goals and providing nine assists in 33 appearances for RB Leipzig, finishing in third place.
Meanwhile, the nine-cap Ivorian international, who is set to feature in the World Cup, has shown his versatility by playing on both wings, but has played primarily on the right, suggesting he could be the ideal replacement for Mohamed Salah.
However, the Reds may have to break the bank to get a deal done, as the advertised £87m transfer fee would be the third-biggest transfer in the starlet’s history.
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Liverpool are working on signing several attacking players in a bid to revive their title-challenging team in the slot.
