Liverpool close to agreeing contract with £128m 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 quickly and just 12 months after lifting the Premier League trophy, Slot was sacked and replaced by Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola.

One area of the pitch that has to be addressed by the new manager is the wide department, because Mohamed Salah, at the age of 34, and Cody Gakpo were nowhere near the level that Salah and Sadio Mane were in their pomp under Jurgen Klopp

Gakpo and the Egypt international combined for 14 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League last term, which is a tally that the Reds would usually expect from one winger, rather than two combined.

The club, of course, won the Champions League and the Premier League under Klopp when they had Mane and Salah marauding down the flanks week-in-week-out, and they need to get back to that level with new signings.

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

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

Now, the club are reportedly pursuing a star who would arrive at Anfield as a Salah and Mane hybrid for Iraola in the 2026/27 campaign and beyond.

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are continuing to work on a deal to sign RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande after they had an initial offer of £90m turned down.

The report claims that they have been in talks with the player’s representatives and have mapped out a six-year contract with a detailed plan for his development, which has left the winger excited about the prospect of a move to Anfield.

Their conversations with the Ivorian star about a six-year contract suggest that they are close to agreeing personal terms with the attacker, which could give them an advantage ahead of rivals PSG in the race to secure his services.

TEAMtalk adds that Leipzig are looking for a fee of around £128m for the 19-year-old talent, and that the Reds are increasingly confident that they can strike a deal for the teenager.

How Yan Diomande is a Mo Salah and Sadio Mane hybrid

Diomande would be an exceptional signing for the club if they can get a move over the line this summer, because 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 naturally right-footed left winger who plays off the left and likes to use his dynamism and dribbling to beat opposition full-backs, averaging 3.6 successful dribbles per game in the Bundesliga.

He can be a constant threat to opposition full-backs with the ball at his feet, carrying the ball up the pitch, just as Mane was during his time on Merseyside.

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

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

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

The £128m-rated star, therefore, combines the best of Mane and Salah because he is similar in style to the former, whilst similarly effective in the final third as the latter.

Diomande completing eight dribbles, making seven key passes, and creating two ‘big chances’ in his first two games at the World Cup this summer, against Ecuador and Germany, is also further evidence of his quality at the top level.

That is why Liverpool should not have many doubts about splashing the cash on the winger to make him the first statement signing of the Iraola era at Anfield.