Journalist believes 13-goal forward is Liverpool’s ‘top’ target this summer | OneFootball

Liverpool Transfer News: Yan Diomande And The Mohamed Salah Question

Liverpool’s summer planning was discussed in detail on Anfield Index’s Media Matters, with Dave Davis asking David Lynch about attacking targets and the possibility of a major change in the forward line. After a wider conversation about Arne Slot, Chelsea and Liverpool’s poor performances, Davis turned the focus towards wingers, saying they are the “priority” this summer.

One of the key names raised was RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande, who has scored 13 goals across all competitions this season. Davis said: “There’s two men on the screen there, Yan Diomande, Red Bull Leipzig, Bradley Barcola.” He also noted that “it’s always been Diomande every week”, before adding that the traction around that story “seems to have reduced” while Barcola was being “mentioned more and more frequently.”

Yan Diomande seen as leading winger option

Asked about the chances of either Diomande or Barcola arriving at Anfield, Lynch put the likelihood “quite highly.” He said: “I would lean to kind of, you know, seven or eight.”

On Diomande specifically, Lynch suggested that Paris Saint-Germain’s interest could become a major factor. “I think PSG’s interest in Diomande just feels like a factor here,” he said, while making clear he had “no particular insight on that” and was “not close to PSG at all.”

Still, his reading of the situation was clear. If PSG move for Diomande, then it could change the market around Barcola. Lynch explained: “If they do go for him, it clearly opens up the possibility of Barcola leaving.”

That leaves Liverpool in an interesting position. Lynch said Liverpool “do like both of them,” but he appeared to place Diomande at the top of the list, saying: “To me, he probably looks like, you know, the premier winger that’s on the market this summer and would maybe be top of Liverpool’s list.”

Photo: IMAGO

Salah departure shapes Liverpool thinking

The Salah element gives this winger discussion greater weight. Lynch spoke with clear respect for the Egyptian, calling him an “unbelievable footballer” and saying it had been “a privilege to kind of watch him play down the years.”

At the same time, Lynch discussed Salah’s decline and the tension around his relationship with Slot. He said: “Slot is not the reason that Salah has declined in the way he has.” He also added: “That comes for everyone, that physical decline.”

The important point is that Liverpool’s transfer planning is being framed around the need for at least one winger. Lynch was emphatic on that. “They’ll definitely sign a winger, at least one winger this summer,” he said. “That is guaranteed, ten out of ten, absolutely going to happen.”

That line is significant. Whether Diomande is viewed as a direct Salah replacement or part of a broader attacking reset, Lynch’s view was that Liverpool’s need in wide areas is certain.