Liverpool are close to agreeing a £128m deal for the star

The 2025/26 campaign did not go to plan for Arne Slot or Liverpool after the Dutchman won the Premier League title in his first season at Anfield.

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

Another area of ​​the field that should be mentioned by the new manager is the wide door, because Mohamed Salah, who is 34, and Cody Gakpo were nowhere near the level that Salah and Sadio Mane were in their prime under Jurgen Klopp.

Gakpo and the Egyptian international combined for 14 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League last season, a number the Reds would have expected from one player, rather than two combined.

The club, of course, won the Champions League and the Premier League under Klopp while Mane and Salah dominated week in and week out, and they need to get back to that level with a new signing.

Liverpool are close to agreeing a £128m deal for the World Cup star

Mane produced 120 goals and 46 assists in 269 appearances for the Reds in his career, while Salah finished his time on Merseyside with 257 goals and 123 assists in 442 appearances in all competitions.

Now, the club are reportedly chasing a star to come to Anfield like Salah and Mane hybrid Iraola for the 2026/27 campaign and beyond.

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are continuing to work on a deal to sign RB Leipzig striker Yan Diomande after having an initial offer of £90m rejected.

The report says that they have been negotiating with the player’s representatives and have arranged a six-year contract with a detailed plan for his development, which has left the running back excited about the prospect of moving to Anfield.

Their talks with the Ivorian star over a six-year contract suggest they are close to agreeing a deal with the attacker, which could give them an advantage over rivals PSG in the race to secure his services.

TEAMtalk add that Leipzig want a fee of around £128m for the 19-year-old talent, and that the Reds are increasingly confident they can do a deal for the youngster.

Yan Diomande is a hybrid of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane

Diomande could be a special player for the club if he can get over the line this summer, as he can offer similar qualities to both Mane and Salah.

The Ivorian ace is similar to the Senegal international in the sense that he is a natural left winger who plays on the left and likes to use his strength and speed to beat opposition defenders, averaging 3.6 successful dribbles per game in the Bundesliga.

He can always be a threat to opposition defenders with the ball at his feet, carrying the ball up high, just like Mane was during his time on Merseyside.

Meanwhile, Diomande is similar to Salah in the way he contributes at the end of the pitch because he has the ability to score goals and create high-quality chances on a regular basis.

Just as Mane was at Liverpool, the former Southampton man was not a prolific creator. He has never created more than 11 ‘big chances’ or scored 10 xA in a club season in the Premier League.

Diomande created 17 ‘big chances’ and averaged 10.12 xA in the Bundesliga in his first season with Leipzig as a 19-year-old, suggesting that he has the potential to provide more brilliance than Mane ever did at Anfield.

The £128m star, therefore, combines the best of Mane and Salah in that he is similar in style to the former, while being equally effective in the final third as the latter.

Diomande completing eight balls, making seven important passes, and creating two ‘big chances’ in his first two matches at the World Cup this summer, against Ecuador and Germany, is further proof of his quality at the highest level.

That’s why Liverpool shouldn’t have too many doubts about splashing the cash on the winger to make him the first statement signing of the Iraola era at Anfield.