Liverpool close to agreeing £128m star deal

After the Dutchman won the Premier League title in his first season at Anfield, the 2025/26 season did not go according to Arne Slott and Liverpool’s plans.

Football moves fast and just 12 months after lifting the Premier League trophy, Slott was sacked and replaced by Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola.

One area of ​​the pitch that the new manager will have to work on is the wide department. Mohamed Salah and Kodi Gakpo, both 34, were nowhere near the level of glamor that Salah and Sadio Mane had under Jurgen Klopp.

Gakpo and the Egyptian international combined for 14 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League last season, figures the Reds would normally expect from one winger rather than two combined.

Of course, the club won the Champions League and Premier League under Klopp when Mane and Salah were attacking the wings week in and week out, and they need to bring in new players and get back to that level.

Liverpool close to agreeing terms with £128m World Cup star

Mane played 269 games for the Reds during his career, scoring 120 goals and providing 46 assists, while Salah ended his time on Merseyside with 257 goals and 123 assists in 442 appearances.

The club are now reportedly chasing a star player who will arrive at Anfield as a Salah-Mane hybrid from Iraola after the 2026/27 season.

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are continuing to work towards signing RB Leipzig forward Yann Diomande after his initial offer of £90m was turned down.

According to reports, they are in talks with the player’s representatives and are planning a six-year contract with a detailed plan for his development, so the winger is excited at the prospect of a move to Anfield.

Conversations about a six-year deal for the Ivorian star suggest they are close to agreeing personal terms with the attacker, which could give them an advantage over rivals PSG in the race for the player.

TEAMtalk added that Leipzig are seeking a transfer fee of around £128m for the 19-year-old talent and the Reds are confident they can sign the teenager.

How Yann Diomande is a hybrid of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane

Diomande can offer similar qualities to both Mane and Salah, so he would be an unusual signing for the club if they can secure a transfer over the line this summer.

The Ivorian ace is similar to the Senegalese international in that he is naturally a right-footed left winger who plays on the left flank and prefers to use his dynamism and dribbling to beat opposing full-backs, averaging 3.6 successful dribbles per game in the Bundesliga.

When he carries the ball up the pitch with the ball at his feet, like Mane did on Merseyside, he can always pose a threat to opposing full-backs.

Diomande, on the other hand, is similar to Salah in that he contributes at the top end of the pitch due to his ability to score goals regularly and create quality chances.

Mane was an excellent player for Liverpool, but the former Southampton man was not a prolific creator. He never created more than 11 “big chances” or had more than 10 hits in a season at a Premier League club.

In his first season at Leipzig, aged 19, Diomande created 17 “big chances” in the Bundesliga and recorded 10.12×A. This suggests he has the potential to be far more creative than Mane at Anfield.

The £128m rated star therefore combines the best of Mane and Salah as they have similar styles and is just as effective as the latter in the final third.

Diomande’s eight successful dribbles, seven important passes and two ‘big chances’ in his first two World Cup matches this summer, against Ecuador and Germany, are further evidence of his quality at the top level.

That’s why Liverpool shouldn’t have too many doubts about spending big on a winger who will be the first signing of the Iraola era at Anfield.