Liverpool want to challenge for the final stages of next season’s Premier League and a successor to Mo Salah will be high on their shopping list.
Liverpool bid farewell to Mohamed Salah this summer (Image: Liverpool FC, Liverpool FC, Getty Images)
Liverpool have left their bid for Champions League qualification until the final day and now turn their focus to what will be a crucial summer period. The Reds spent a lot of money last summer, but there’s a good chance they’ll need to spend more.
Arne Slott has endured a difficult second season in the dugout and the pressure is firmly on the club’s decision-makers to make the right decisions in the transfer market. The Premier League champions’ title defense for the 2024/25 season will fall far short of what many supporters were expecting and, despite some mitigating circumstances, will require a better return.
We already know Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson will not be at Anfield next term, with the Premier League and Champions League winning pair receiving an emotional farewell on Sunday. There may be more departures, but finding a replacement for Salah is expected to be the club’s top priority.
So what will happen for Liverpool this summer? Many areas may require attention, but for now we are focused on attacks.
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One name that always pops up in the Liverpool gossip columns is Yann Diomande. The Ivorian winger made a huge impression in his debut season with RB Leipzig, scoring 12 goals and providing nine assists in 33 Bundesliga games.
Leipzig’s Champions League qualification should give them some leverage in negotiations, but interest from the likes of Bayern Munich and PSG is likely to keep their asking price high. The German club are willing to pay a transfer fee of £87 million, but that figure is unlikely to change even if he performs well at the World Cup, where Ivory Coast were drawn alongside Germany, Curaçao and Ecuador.
Naturally, there are other options for frames as well. That includes Jarrod Bowen, who could be snapped up on the cheap after Sunday’s relegation at West Ham.
Bowen shares a broadly similar profile to Salah as a wide forward who can pose a goal threat from the right or centrally. However, he is 10 years older than Diomand, and that will likely be reflected in both his asking price and potential resale value this summer.
New arrival could be good news for Alexander Isaac (Image: Gareth Copley, Getty Images)
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The signing of a player with Diomande’s scoring ability and creativity should be a welcome boost for Alexander Isak. It would be an understatement to say that the £125m Swede has fallen short of expectations in his club-record debut season, but a full pre-season should see him do well.
With Hugo Ekitike expected to take at least a few months into the season to return from injury, there’s a good chance they’ll build an attack around Isak’s qualities as a goal threat. The pressing question now is who will line up next to him.
Rio Ngmoha may not turn 18 until August, but he is already starting to make a case for being used regularly on the left wing, or at least sharing duties with Kodi Gakpo more often than he has been this season. The youngster is set to take part in England’s pre-World Cup training camp, if not in the full squad, and the extra exposure could give him something to build off of.
Rio Ngmoja could play an even bigger role next term (Image: Liverpool FC, Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
All of this will allow Florian Wirths to act as a playmaker directly behind Isak as Liverpool look to make the most of their attacking options. However, there is a good chance that they will need reinforcements behind him, and not just incoming centre-back Jeremy Jacquet.
There may also be room for players on the fringes of first-team football to move on, especially if the likes of Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa can be securely compensated. Mr. Ngmoha is rapidly pushing for a more prominent role, and there is a possibility that a lawsuit could be brought against Mr. Ngakpo for his alleged entertainment bid.
To do so, further reinforcements are needed on the left side to boost young players, with Hoffenheim’s Bazmana Toure and Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola being mentioned as potential targets. Tentative links have also emerged with Sporting CP’s Francisco Trincao, who previously spent a season in the Premier League with Wolves, and the Portuguese international is also capable of sharing the number 10 role with Wertz.
Liverpool’s dream attacking line-up for next season: Ngmoha, Wirtz, Diomande. Isaac.
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