Liverpool turn to £130m Premier League star to replace Salah amid Diomande, Barcola stagnation | OneFootball

Liverpool are now turning their attention towards Bournemouth winger Rayan as they struggle to sign a replacement for Mohamed Salah, according to reports.

The Reds announced in March that they had come to an agreement to allow Salah leave at the end of the season in order to pursue a new challenge.

Liverpool have already signed Spain international Victor Munoz from Osasuna in a deal worth around €40m but that won’t stop the Reds pursuing another top winger.

RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande emerged as the Merseysiders’ top target this summer but their hope of tying up a quick deal was destroyed recently when reports revealed that the Ivory Coast international had chosen a move to Paris Saint-Germain over Liverpool.

Liverpool are now hoping – if they can’t sign the Leipzig winger – that his potential move to PSG will open the door for them to bring in Bradley Barcola from the French side.

With a deal for either Diomande or Barcola looking likely to take until towards the end of the transfer window, Liverpool have turned their attention to a number of back-up options.

Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, Cologne’s Said El Mala, Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye have all been linked with moves to Anfield.

However, our friends at TEAMtalk have now revealed that the Reds ‘have made enquiries’ for Bournemouth’s Rayan as they continue to look for a replacement for Salah.

The Brazil international, whose £130m release clause doesn’t become active for another year, ‘is another player firmly on Liverpool’s radar’ with the Reds admiring the former Vasco da Gama forward before his move to Bournemouth.

TEAMtalk adds that Liverpool ‘have now made contact about the 19-year-old this summer and, significantly, have sought Iraola‘s assessment of the player’.

The Spaniard, who worked with Rayan in the second half of last season, ‘remains a huge admirer of the youngster and believes his ceiling is exceptionally high’.

Who Liverpool need to sign this summer…

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock reckons the Reds need to sign either Barcola or Desire Doue from PSG as they should replace Salah with proven talent.

Warnock exclusively told TEAMtalk: “It’s an interesting one. Do you go after Bradley Barcola? He predominantly plays on the left, but we know he’s capable of playing on both sides.

“The great thing about him is his age and, crucially, we already know he’s good enough at the very highest level. He’s played Champions League football, international football and proven himself already.

“I don’t think Liverpool are in a position right now where they can buy another Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane-type project and hope they become elite. I think Liverpool need to buy players who are ready to go and perform immediately.

“For me, I’d look at Barcola or Désiré Doué if Liverpool could somehow get either of them. If they can’t, they’ll have to try and unearth another gem and hope he develops into that player.”

Warnock reckons Liverpool could also do with improving in most areas of defence, he added: “Liverpool are massively light defensively, and that’s a real concern going into the season. At the moment, you’ve essentially got Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez as your two senior centre-backs.

“Right-back is also a concern. I absolutely love Conor Bradley, and I think he’s a starter when he’s fit, but the question is whether he can stay fit for the whole season. There’s no doubt about his ability; it’s purely his availability that concerns me.”

On what Iraola should be demanding from the Anfield board, the former Liverpool defender replied: “A right-back, 100 per cent. He might just get away with centre-back because [Giovanni] Leoni is returning from injury.

“We saw Leoni briefly last year, and he looked very good, but after an ACL injury, you don’t know what condition he’ll be in. Right-back is the absolute priority, though!

“Then you look at left-back. Andrew Robertson has gone, and Kostas Tsimikas is back in the squad.

“Iraola will have to decide whether Milos Kerkez can handle a full season and whether [Kostas] Tsimikas can provide enough support. But for me, if I’m Andoni Iraola, my first demand is absolutely a right-back.”