Liverpool begin talks to sign £51m Diaz replacement

Final season, little was anticipated of Arne Slot’s Liverpool. Within the overtures to the marketing campaign, anyway.

However then Liverpool began enjoying, began to strut their stuff in a brand new system. Slot’s aspect ceded floor in simply two of their opening 13 Premier League matches, making a gulf that proved too vast for the likes of Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis to bridge.

In equity, the overarching scepticism was comprehensible. Jurgen Klopp had stood down from his revered put up, and historic circumstances of similarity within the Premier League recommended the Reds have been in for a tough journey.

However FSG selected properly when swiping Feyenoord’s shrewd head coach, who certainly received the English high flight in his maiden 12 months and did so with relative ease.

Now, Liverpool are exhibiting ruthless ambition in the summertime switch market as they appear to consolidate their place of energy over the approaching years.

So many bumper offers have been pulled off already, the newest of which is about to be the £79m signing of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, however Luis Diaz’s unsure future might see one other one cross the road.

Liverpool seeking to change Luis Diaz

Liverpool have accomplished a plethora of thrilling signings this summer time, and there might be extra nonetheless to come back. Nevertheless, Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Actual Madrid, and now Diaz might be on the transfer too.

The Colombian winger, 28, has simply shy of two years remaining on his contract, and Liverpool haven’t engaged in any concrete talks to increase his keep on Merseyside.

Whereas the outward stance has been that Diaz shouldn’t be on the market, FSG could have a tacit acceptance that he might be offered, with Bayern Munich urgent forward and making an attempt to signal him after seeing a gap £58.5m provide knocked again earlier in July.

It goes with out saying that Liverpool would wish to switch such an important a part of Slot’s set-up, and whereas the likes of Actual Madrid’s Rodrygo have been touted, the Reds appear prepared to move down a shrewder monitor.

Liverpool open talks for Diaz substitute

In line with Caught Offside, Liverpool chiefs are holding talks with the brokers of Malick Fofana, who has been linked with a transfer away from Lyon this summer time.

Bayern are additionally eager on signing the Belgium worldwide, however provided that Liverpool bar Diaz’s potential departure this summer time. Thus, Liverpool should not face stiff competitors if the assorted cogs fall into place.

Lyon would hope to safe as a lot as €60m (£51m) for Fofana’s sale, however FSG would little doubt hope to signal the 20-year-old for a extra modest determine.

Why Liverpool need Malick Fofana

Liverpool need Fofana as a result of, if Diaz leaves, they might want to signal a left-sided ahead. However why, particularly, has Fofana been earmarked as an possibility alongside a celebrity akin to Rodrygo, who Los Blancos have priced at £87m?

Nicely, Fofana would come at a less expensive value, and with Cody Gakpo already occupying Liverpool’s attacking left flank, this is likely to be a extra prudent transfer.

Fofana’s term-and-a-half in Ligue 1 has garnered reward. Analyst Ben Mattinson hailed his “explosive” qualities down the wing, and having now accomplished 62 senior appearances for Lyon after becoming a member of from Genk in Belgium, he has scored 15 objectives and equipped seven assists.

Furthermore, he is positionally versatile, with this a ability which Slot would put to good use, for he did the identical with Diaz final season.

Although he is not but reached full bloom, Fofana has the makings of a prolific winger, and on this means, he might be the right associate for Ekitike, who’s getting ready to finishing his transfer to Merseyside.

As per FBref, Fofana ranked among the many high 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers throughout Europe’s high 5 leagues final season for non-penalty objectives, the highest 16% for touches within the attacking field and the highest 2% for progressive carries per 90, underscoring his burgeoning efficiency and tempo.

As a way to maximise Fofana’s potential as a goalscoring winger, enjoying alongside a “full ahead” like Ekitike, as he has been named by expertise scout Jacek Kulig, would solely improve such a high quality.

Ekitike is likely to be a striker at the beginning, however he is additionally an exceptionally dynamic and clever participant. Final season, within the German Bundesliga, he created 12 massive possibilities and averaged 1.3 key passes and 4.2 profitable duels per sport, as per Sofascore.

Slot will count on the France expertise so as to add goalscoring menace, however he’ll additionally count on him to widen the artistic parameters of his frontline, utilising that off-the-ball motion and playmaking prowess to boost Mohamed Salah’s possibilities, and certainly Fofana’s too.

Additional proof of Fofana’s medical potential might be present in his conversion fee. Sofascore additionally document that the younger winger has solely missed six massive possibilities since arriving in France for the primary time in January 2024, and provided that he is scored eight objectives, he is bought that natural-born coolness within the ultimate third to make issues occur.

Furthermore, his efforts within the Europa League final 12 months had one thing fascinating to say about his potential. Fofana scored six objectives throughout Lyon’s continental marketing campaign with out lacking a single massive likelihood.

There’s a lot to love, and given the richness of Liverpool’s squad, which will probably be richer nonetheless as soon as Ekitike’s deal has been wrapped up, Fofana would make a sensible resolution in entrusting Slot along with his growth over the following few years.