Liverpool have three-man shortlist to REPLACE Luis Diaz | OneFootball

There are a lot of new faces who could be arriving at Liverpool this summer but one could be saying his farewell.

Anfield Watch exclusively revealed that Luis Diaz could be among a number of departures this summer.

The Colombian has two years left on his current deal and is looking to sign a contract extension. However, negotiations have stalled between the two sides.

This has meant Diaz has started to consider his future away from Liverpool. He has attracted interest from a number of clubs.

Most notably, Barcelona are keen on the winger. But Saudi Arabian sides are also considering a move for him.

Obviously, with Florian Wirtz potentially coming in, and Cody Gakpo still at the club there isn't a huge necessity to replace Diaz with a similar calibre player.

However, the Reds could look to bring in a potential future star and there are a few players who have been linked with the club who fit that profile.

Anfield Watch takes a look at three players who could be on the club's shortlist.

Mahgnes Akliouche

According to a recent report, Liverpool have already made contact to sign the AS Monaco winger, who can also operate as an attacking midfielder.

Akliouche is young and he's a brilliant creative outlet.

He's averaged the most key passes (1.04 per 90) in Ligue 1. Meanwhile, he ranks third for expected assists (0.23 xA per 90).

The French attacker is really good at threading passes into the penalty area. He ranks in the top ten for passes into the opposition's box (3.69 per 90).

So, he's a bit different to Diaz. He doesn't have the explosiveness of the Colombian. But he's got the creativity and the ability to link-up with his teammates.

With Wirtz coming in, who is excellent in those one vs one situations, bringing in someone like Akliouche would make sense. Their partnership could be a really interesting one.

Malick Fofana

Liverpool have also targeted Malick Fofana from Lyon who has enjoyed a brilliant season in France. Only 20-years-old, Fofana is slight in his stature but he is really effective.

He's quick, and he loves taking players on. Especially over long distances, using his speed to beat his opponents. It's no surprise that he ranks in the 98th percentile for progressive carries (6.72 per 90) as per FBref.

With 17 goal contributions in 41 games, Fofana's output has been decent. He's still raw and an inconsistent finisher in front of goal but that's something he could learn to improve under Slot.

Liverpool would be banking on potential here rather than a finished article. However, as a back-up option with Gakpo being the first choice going for Fofana might make sense.

He's got the raw qualities that make him the perfect fit for this team and there's a lot of exciting potential for him to reach a really high ceiling in the future.

Rio Ngumoha

There is an argument to be had for Liverpool not investing any money. After all if Diaz leaves there's already an exciting young player in Slot's squad who is ready for an opportunity.

In the FA Cup against Accrington this season, Ngumoha showed he can be a threat at senior level. Liverpool landed a major coup when they convinced him to join from Chelsea last summer.

He will only 17-year-old next season. Sure, he's very young and still very raw but he's been catching the eye in first team training and the reason Liverpool landed him from Chelsea is because they promised him opportunities in the first team.

The only way Ngumoha is going to reach his potential is by playing games which is why it might make more sense for Liverpool to promote him rather than buying someone who may block his pathway into the first team.

Liverpool have always benefitted by giving young players a chance. Ngumoha could be a generational prospect. His one vs one ability is already mesmerising.