Brilliant! English defender confirms he's joining Liverpool | OneFootball

An English defender has confirmed he's joining Liverpool.

Let's be honest, this transfer window hasn't exactly unfolded the way Liverpool supporters were hoping it would.

There is still plenty of time for things to change, and the market can move incredibly quickly, but compared to this stage last summer, it has been a much quieter process. Twelve months ago, Liverpool had already secured deals for Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, while moves for Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak appeared to be heading in the right direction.

There was a real sense that Liverpool were making a statement. Almost every week brought another major development, so it's understandable why fans expected a similar level of activity this time around.

Instead, the Reds now look set to miss out on Yan Diomande. Reports suggest the Ivorian winger is edging closer to a move to Paris Saint-Germain, leaving Liverpool needing to explore alternative options.

That will be a frustrating outcome because Diomande looked like the type of signing Liverpool have built their recruitment model around. Nobody expected him to instantly replace Mohamed Salah, but he had all the qualities the club values — young, exciting, versatile and with the potential to become one of the best players in his position.

The biggest problem is that players with that profile are incredibly difficult to find.

There's no denying finding a right winger capable of eventually following in Mohamed Salah's footsteps is one of the toughest challenges in football.

Players who can consistently score goals, create chances, beat defenders in one-on-one situations and handle the pressure of playing for a club like Liverpool are incredibly difficult to find. That combination of talent, mentality and consistency is what makes Salah so unique.

That's why missing out on Diomande is such a blow.

Liverpool will now have to turn their attention elsewhere, but the number of realistic alternatives is limited. Richard Hughes and the recruitment department have built up plenty of credit with their work in the transfer market, but replacing someone of Salah's importance was never going to be a simple task.

The next decision they make could have a huge impact on Liverpool's attack for years to come, which is why getting it right is so important.

The challenge for Hughes, though, goes far beyond just finding a new right winger. Replacing Salah would be difficult enough on its own, but Liverpool have several other areas that require attention this summer.

The Reds still need reinforcements in midfield, a new right-back, centre-back and potentially another attacking option — and that's before considering any further departures that could create even more work.

It's a huge rebuild, and every decision will matter.

If there is one positive at least, it's the fact that Liverpool are investing in young players behind the scenes in order to make sure this kind of thing never happens again.

We've already seen Ifeanyi Ndukwe sign this summer who will be involved with the first-team but he is primarily an U21 signing, and Liverpool have also secured the likes of Zach Trinder, Samuel Martinez, Armin Pecsi, Will Wright and Mor Talla Ndiaye over the course of the last 12 months.

Now there's another player to add to the club's list.

Former West Brom centre-back Isaiah Brown has announced on his Instagram that he is joining Liverpool.

The 15-year-old English sensation has completed a move from his former side and will be joining the Reds' U16 side before likely being involved with the U18 team as well.

It's another solid addition on top of Dara Jikiemi and the aforementioned Ndukwe and Ndiaye. All it means is that Liverpool are very well stocked in the centre-back department at academy level.