Liverpool are eyeing a move to sign the £130m star

It sounds like Liverpool have some issues to sort out ahead of the new Premier League campaign, with Mohamed Salah yet to be replaced and Andoni Iraola’s backline looking out of whack.

With Virgil van Dijk still on break following his involvement in the World Cup, it has become painfully clear at the start of the season that Iraola is struggling defensively – and that has been exacerbated by the injury Joe Gomez picked up during the 4-2 win over Sunderland at the weekend.

But for all the noise surrounding the central defence, it drowns out the desire, the need, for a new player to replace Salah, who left Anfield permanently when his contract expires at the end of June.

The likes of Yan Diomande and Bradley Barcola have emerged as top targets to replace the Egyptian this summer, but the former is heading to Real Madrid, and Barcola’s £145m price tag may seem unreasonable.

Major problems facing Liverpool’s frontline

Salah’s decline last season was a key reason for Liverpool’s downfall under Arne Slot. That first giddy year beyond Jurgen Klopp’s exit, Slot’s Liverpool shined and danced their way to the Premier League title, and Salah was a builder, many levels ahead of his competition.

But the 34-year-old lost something last year, with Liverpool unable to step up and provide as their long-term talisman fell. Victor Munoz has been signed this summer for £34.5m, but the former Osasuna winner is still young and still learning the trade. More is needed.

With Hugo Ekitike sidelined until the middle of the campaign, Liverpool need more in attack. Alexander Isak should step up after a difficult first term on Merseyside, but Liverpool are a bit paper thin on the right.

Diomande, 19, would have been right, but the RB Leipzig winger chose Paris Saint-Germain over the Reds, and now it looks like he has changed his mind again, with Real Madrid closing in on his signature.

FSG have taken it on the chin and are now focusing on PSG who have rejected Diomande, but the French giants are in no rush to sell him, or reject a contract extension.

Barcola, 23, is one of the world’s most exciting forwards, hailed as “the closest thing to Salah” on the market right now by Dave Hendrick of Anfield Index, but he is not the cream of the crop yet, and the British transfer fee will be expensive.

But Liverpool are ready to break the bank this summer. It should, and if there’s money to spend, FSG may want to pay attention to another rising star.

Liverpool are eyeing a move to sign the Barcola-Diomande hybrid

Barcola would be a great addition to Iraola’s Liverpool squad, but he is not a natural right-winger, and would cost too much money. Liverpool may be inclined to turn their head in the other direction.

This is according to TEAMtalk, which revealed that Liverpool’s sporting director, Richard Hughes, wanted to hire Bournemouth winger, Rayan, who joined the club from Vasco da Gama of Brazil for £25m in January.

Rayan, 19, is emerging as a real prospect, and the south coasters know it, having included a £130m release clause in his contract. Obviously that’s not going to happen, so FSG will be hoping that Hughes and Iraola’s connection and strength can do the heavy lifting over the next few weeks.

Diomande is off the cards. As a two-sided winger, he played a lot of football on the right and would have suited Iraola’s Liverpool system in that regard. But Liverpool have moved on, and Barcola’s signature is now top of the list.

We mustn’t jump the gun, though, and if PSG fail to budge on the £145m price tag, it’s pretty simple: Barcola won’t be playing for Liverpool next year.

Likewise, the Reds are unlikely to shell out a record-breaking sum for Ryan, but Bournemouth could reduce their demands if Rayan makes a splash. Since signing for the Cherries, he has scored five goals and provided two assists in 15 games, but the quality of his performances has been highly commendable.

Such a gift. Rayan hasn’t played in Europe that long, but he’s undoubtedly grown into a top player in the short time he’s spent on English shores.

Rightly so, Rayan was perhaps Barcola’s best at the World Cup, showing great ability on the ball and creating for his teammates. He was one of the brightest sparks in Brazil.

Could Liverpool sign both Barcola and Rayan this summer? Maybe not. There is a chance that both Isak and Ekitike joined last summer, but given the reinforcements needed elsewhere, it would be difficult to pull out.

If it comes down to one of the two, Rayan might be the better choice. His stock isn’t that high, to be sure, but he emerges as an elusive winger, already regarded as “world class” by Bournemouth teammates such as James Tavernier.

Rayan is one of the most talented young attackers in the game. He has Premier League experience, and unlike Barcola, he naturally plays on the right side.

The data pool may be small, but he has impressed for club and country over the past six months, and he may have what it takes to replace Salah under Iraola’s wing.