Liverpool ready to sign £112m Diomand replacement

Bayern Munich want to sign Rio Ngmoja. That’s all we know, but whether the 17-year-old prodigy wants to put his Liverpool career behind him and sign for the German giants is an even more uncertain area ahead of the summer transfer window.

It has been a tough season for Liverpool, who collapsed under Arne Slott after winning the Premier League in 2024/25. The Dutch manager’s tenure was in jeopardy after a disappointing loss at the end of the year, and Andoni Iraola was drafted to replace him.

One of the most frustrating elements of Slott’s death was his refusal to give Ngmoha sufficient playing time in the Premier League. The winger was one of Liverpool’s brightest lights all season, but it was a hopeless throw of the dice, starting just five games in the top flight, including the final three.

It wasn’t enough to get Slott out of trouble, so Liverpool need to rebuild. Iraola brings fresh ideas, but his arrival does not significantly change FSG’s transfer plans, with Yann Diomande remaining the Reds’ top target.

Liverpool preparing for big-money transfer

Diomand, 19, is not Liverpool’s only high-profile forward as Mohamed Salah prepares to end his legendary days on Merseyside, but he is FSG’s number one target.

But if Liverpool want to sign a player, the German is looking for a nine-figure figure, and while Liverpool are certainly not skittish, it is unlikely that the FSG will sanction a series of deals for the same amount as last year, when sporting director Richard Hughes rebuilt Jurgen Klopp’s attacking line-up.

According to France’s le10sport, Liverpool are not opposed to making a move towards Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola instead, with the 23-year-old’s future in Paris unclear.

PSG want Barcola to stay, but if they fail to extend the French star’s contract, they will have to sell Barcola ahead of his penultimate year.

But the ball is still in the Parisians’ court, with Liverpool demanding a transfer fee of around 130 million euros (about £112 million) for the same venue as Diomand if they are interested in taking the next step.

Why Barcola is an upgrade over Ngmoha for Liverpool

Ngmoha’s winning goal against Newcastle United last August made him one of the youngest scorers in Premier League history, but he still has more to prove if he is to cement himself as a regular starter in Liverpool’s senior team.

That’s not to say the fleet-footed winger isn’t as talented as they are, but Iraola can’t afford a slow start at Anfield next season, so it’s understandable that Barcola is being targeted to strengthen the left flank.

The dynamic winger is as slippery as an eel on the ball, using his large frame in unique ways to fly all over the place. In some ways, he plays football on the wing in a similar fashion to Ngmoha, but with a more fluent standard, given that he has been with Liverpool for almost six years as an up-and-coming star.

Barcora has scored 34 goals and provided 28 assists in all competitions for PSG since the start of the 2024/25 season. He has played a key role in this great era under Luis Enrique and Liverpool would only close the gap by securing such a winger.

Hviča Kvaratschelia has prevented Barcola from starting every week, but his impressive combination of speed and physicality, as well as his unpredictability in attack, has seen him still hailed as “one of the best wingers in the world” by Como first-team scout Ben Mattinson.

Liverpool need to make some changes this summer. After all, Slott himself wasn’t on the pitch and some of Liverpool’s biggest stars should be left red-faced after their efforts.

Ngmoha has perhaps shown the brightest spots and it is vital he stays on Merseyside and develops into a superstar. But Iraola needs to make an immediate impact, and bringing in a world-class talent like Barcola will help him achieve that.