Six Diomande alternatives Liverpool MUST target this summer after PSG bombshell | OneFootball

Liverpool are being sent back to the drawing board in their bid to replace Mohamed Salah after top target Yan Diomande had his head turned by PSG.

According to David Ornstein, whose word is pretty much taken as fact when it comes to transfer news, Diomande would prefer to join PSG this summer after being tempted by their trophy-hogging project.

It means Liverpool will have to broaden their search for a new right winger after already bringing in Victor Munoz for the left.

Munoz can play on the right as well, though, so Liverpool can afford to keep their options open.

It’s worth remembering, of course, that Salah himself was an alternative target for Liverpool in the first place. Jurgen Klopp had initially wanted Julian Brandt instead, but plan B didn’t turn out too badly…

We’ve looked at some alternatives to Diomande that could become good signings for Liverpool.

Bradley Barcola

What better way to exact revenge on PSG for beating them to Diomande than by pinching one of their own wingers?

Barcola could become available if he falls down the PSG pecking order after three years with the club, and he’s someone on Liverpool’s radar.

Having 39 goals to his name from 152 PSG appearances (including 107 starts) is promising. The fact he’s still 23, which is only four years older than Diomande and two younger than Salah was when he joined the club, offers hope he could become even better.

The caveat with Barcola is that he’s a right-footed left winger. Diomande is right-footed too, but was a target to play on the right wing for Liverpool.

Barcola has played a few times on the right for PSG, including when he came on against Liverpool in the Champions League last season, so might be able to adapt his game.

Rayan

This one might be tricky, but it’d give Andoni Iraola the chance to keep working with a prospect he was getting the best out of for Bournemouth.

Rayan arrived in the Premier League in January and, despite only being 19, scored five goals from 15 games to play his way into the Brazil squad for the World Cup.

The sky is the limit for the former Vasco da Gama starlet, who crucially is a left-footer who plays on the right.

That means he doesn’t have the same profile as Diomande but he does have parallels with Salah, although his playing style is different.

Relatively tall for a winger, Rayan would bring power out wide for Liverpool. But Bournemouth won’t be in much of a mood to lose him after just half a year.

Iliman Ndiaye

A cheeky suggestion here, but it might be worth asking the question.

There have been some faint whispers of Liverpool’s interest in taking Ndiaye from their Merseyside rivals Everton.

No player has gone directly from Everton to Liverpool since Abel Xavier in 2002, but Ndiaye could be a good candidate for the Reds.

He can play on either wing, but leaned towards the right last season. He’s also right footed, so has some strong similarities with Diomande.

At 26, he should be coming into the prime of his career soon and the Premier League experience he has might set him apart.

Try talking Everton into strengthening their biggest rivals, though…

Yankuba Minteh

Another option from within the Premier League could be Brighton’s Minteh.

This one might have made more sense if Arne Slot was still Liverpool’s manager, since they worked together at Feyenoord, but there’s still a case to be made. A pretty convincing one, in fact.

Minteh is viewed as the kind of winger that’d suit Iraola’s style to a tee. He has pace and presses well off the ball.

Minteh’s second season in the Premier League with Brighton wasn’t as effective as his first, but age is on his side. He turns 22 in July.

The Gambia international has a strong preference for playing on the right, where he can cut inside onto his stronger left foot.

He’ll be cheaper than Diomande would’ve been, but Premier League status means his price tag won’t be that small either.

Matias Fernandez-Pardo

One of the names most heavily put forward by transfer insiders, Fernandez-Pardo is part of the Belgium squad at the World Cup.

He’s just had the best season of his career with Lille, scoring eight goals and adding seven assists.

Sure, those aren’t prime Salah numbers or even what Diomande got last season, but the 21-year-old has a lot of upside.

One thing that may play into Fernandez-Pardo’s favour is his versatility. He’s learned how to play as a striker this season, which could help Liverpool while they wait for Hugo Ekitike to come back from injury, not putting too much workload on Alexander Isak.

But as a winger, Fernandez-Pardo prefers to play on the left over the right.

Said El Mala

Another option often cited in the gossip columns is El Mala

Like Diomande, he’s just had a breakthrough debut season in the Bundesliga. El Mala scored 13 goals from 34 games for FC Koln.

The top scorer at last year’s U19 Euros, El Mala is a Germany youth international who turns 20 in August.

More of a left winger usually, he can also play through the middle. Moreover, he is comfortable using both feet.

Brentford were reportedly willing to break their transfer record on El Mala this summer, but that move has fallen through, leaving him up for grabs.