Liverpool in talks to sign a £43m “young Mane”

Keep an eye on Ivory Coast over the next few weeks, with the African nation tipped to impress during the World Cup. Why does this matter to Liverpool? Well, Yan Diomande will be taking centre stage.

The 19-year-old has enjoyed a barnstorming start to life in the Bundesliga, joining RB Leipzig from Leganes in Spain. Across all competitions, he scored 13 goals and supplied ten assists, and there can be no doubts that he has enough boyish hunger to replace Mohamed Salah, who was so heavily out of sorts this season.

Arne Slot has not left Anfield in a good position after a wretched second season, albeit doing enough to secure for the Reds a Champions League reprisal. Changes are required over the summer months, with Diomande alone unlikely to fix the Merseyside outfit’s attacking problems.

Liverpool in talks to sign another Bundesliga winger

Diomande is the talk of the town, but he’s not the only talented Bundesliga winger on Liverpool’s radar. Now that Andoni Iraola is in place as Liverpool’s new head coach, we have some much-needed clarity, so expect moves to quickly ramp up.

Sadly, efforts to sign Michael Olise from Bayern Munich will prove fruitless, and while Diomande could be the perfect player to replace Salah on the right, uncertainty around Cody Gakpo, and anyway, the need for more depth could see FSG make another lunge toward Germany.

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are leading Manchester United in the race to sign Bazamanou Toure from Hoffenheim this summer, with the 20-year-old winger valued at £43m.

The fact that Hoffenheim are braced for big-money bids this summer makes a telling comment on their stance. Toure is not yet agitating to leave, but Liverpool have the advantage in the race, and given his comparatively affordable price tag, this could be a deal that FSG complete alongside Diomande.

Why Toure could be just like Diomande for Liverpool

Toure, like his Ivory Coast teammate Diomande, has superstar potential, and he has already been hailed as “one of the most exciting young wingers in European football” by journalist Bence Bocsak.

He is not quite so unrelenting in his running and duelling, but that’s certainly not to say that he’s ineffective, maybe more intelligent in utilising his explosiveness, picking his moments.

Perhaps that is the reason that reporter Bence Bocsak has described him as a “young Sadio Mane”, so fast and furious, almost fearless as he runs down the wing and beats tough defenders.

The left-sided forward scored five goals and provided nine assists across 30 Bundesliga appearances this season, creating 11 big chances and winning over five duels per game on average.

Toure is young, but like Diomande, he has proven himself capable of operating at the highest level, an increasingly important part of his Bundesliga outfit’s plans this season.

Crucially, he has the making of a clinical forward. He only scored five goals in the league, but he also missed just three big chances, speaking of a clinical edge that could see him match Diomande’s impact and bringing a bit of Mane-esque flair to Anfield.

With the two Ivorian wingers wreaking havoc down Liverpool’s attacking flanks, Iraola would secure the high-octane energy he needs to make his system purr. These are signings that could bring Liverpool back to the fore, sparking Florian Wirtz into life as the club’s leading playmaker, rekindling Alexander Isak, that world-class goalscorer.

Liverpool can ill-afford another poor season, but if they make signings such as these, Iraola will have all the tools he needs to bring the Merseyside outfit back into title contention, putting them back on their perch.