Liverpool have been making calls to signal big-money star who’s Ekitike 2.0

One yr in the past, Liverpool have been topped Premier League champions, thrashing Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield so as to add Arne Slot‘s face to the shimmering pink banner.

How issues have modified over the previous 12 months, with the Dutchman now beneath fireplace and going through an end-of-season evaluate. The phrase on the road is that he’ll survive and work with Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes all through the summer time switch window, signings made in keeping with Slot’s personal imaginative and prescient.

Let’s hope final yr’s hero recovers that pale picture, now the arbiter of a very staggering downfall that has seen clamour for a change any variety of instances.

When Slot and Mohamed Salah endured a public dispute after defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion in December, it regarded like one must go. That is turned out to be the membership’s best ahead in a number of generations, and now Slot and co must safe a successor.

Romano: Liverpool “calling” for Salah alternative

Salah is irreplaceable, however all the identical, Liverpool must do their greatest this summer time. Salah is leaving, and he is taking all 257 of his targets with him.

Couple that with the Achilles damage sustained by Hugo Ekitike, in addition to Alexander Isak’s struggles all through the marketing campaign, and it is clear that Liverpool must signal a brand new goalscorer, even after final summer time’s splurge.

What Liverpool want is a brand new ahead who can play a component in a title-challenging workforce over the subsequent a number of years. That is simpler mentioned than achieved, and whereas Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise is off the playing cards, FSG have set their sights on one other Bundesliga expertise.

Based on Fabrizio Romano, who is aware of a factor or two concerning the switch scene, Liverpool have been “calling” for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, who has impressed this season in Germany.

Romano mentioned in full: “PSG have an interest. Bayern have an interest and Liverpool additionally stay in for the participant. A number of golf equipment are calling for the participant. Leipzig are discussing the potential of retaining the participant for yet one more season and together with a launch clause to maintain him till 2027. Liverpool hold monitoring the participant. Liverpool scouts have been at Leipzig’s final two video games to observe the participant. Diomande, for certain, goes to be an attention-grabbing case to comply with on this summer time window.”

Except the Ivorian indicators a brand new deal, it is extremely seemingly Leipzig are going to double down on their hefty £87m valuation.

Why Diomande could possibly be Liverpool’s new Ekitike

Diomande is simply 19, and in all honesty, is principally a hatchling on the senior stage. Final season, he performed for Leganes in Spain, although was peripheral till profitable his supervisor’s belief throughout the closing months.

Having moved to Leipzig final yr, he is progressed at startling velocity. You possibly can say that he has mimicked Ekitike in that, with the France striker thriving – for essentially the most half – since becoming a member of Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79m final yr.

Ekitike is unlikely to characteristic once more earlier than the tip of the calendar yr, and that’s an agonising blow for the dynamic ahead, however he’ll be again to mix with Diomande earlier than lengthy, with each far higher and extra expansive than their function in Liverpool’s system may demand of them.

Not solely flashy and livid when on the prowl, the winger can be keen to get caught in defensively, and in that, he’ll make a giant distinction down Liverpool’s proper aspect subsequent yr.

Analyst Raj Chohan has even predicted that the Ivorian “will play each wings” for the Anfield aspect, asserting {that a} deal is probably going already edging towards completion.

In fact, he can be thought-about as Salah’s successor on the best, Diomande may harness an Ekitike-esque high quality, arriving as a younger ahead from Germany and shortly rising as one in every of Slot’s most trusted attacking lieutenants.

Described as a “generational expertise” by journalist Bence Bocsák, Diomande is the actual deal, and whereas he can’t be anticipated to carry out with the sharpness of peak Salah, Diomande may emulate Ekitike in heading over from Germany and having an on the spot affect on Slot’s squad.

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