Liverpool transfer news: Reds agree five-year deal with star player | OneFootball

Liverpool have agreed a five-year deal with a star player.

Let's be honest, this transfer window hasn't quite gone the way Liverpool fans were hoping.

There's still plenty of time left, so things can change quickly, but compared to this point last summer, it's been a much quieter ride. By now, Liverpool had already wrapped up deals for Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, while Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak also looked well on their way to Anfield.

There was a real feeling that the club meant business. Every few days there seemed to be another breakthrough, so it's no surprise supporters expected more of the same this summer.

Instead, Liverpool now look set to miss out on Yan Diomande. The latest reports suggest the talented Ivorian is leaning towards Paris Saint-Germain, forcing the Reds back into the market.

That's frustrating because Diomande felt like a perfect fit for what Liverpool are trying to build. He was never going to replace Mohamed Salah overnight, but he had the profile the club loves - young, exciting and with the potential to become one of the best players in his position.

The bigger issue is that there just aren't many players like him around.

Finding a right-winger capable of eventually taking over from Salah is one of the hardest jobs in football. Players who can score goals, create chances, beat defenders one-on-one and thrive under the pressure that comes with playing for Liverpool are incredibly rare.

That's why missing out on Diomande would hurt.

Liverpool will now have to look elsewhere, but the list of realistic alternatives isn't a long one. Richard Hughes and the recruitment team have earned plenty of trust with their work in the market, but replacing a player of Salah's calibre was never going to be straightforward.

The next decision they make could shape Liverpool's attack for years to come, so it's one they simply have to get right.

What makes Hughes' job so difficult is that it's not just about the right-wing position. Replacing Salah would be a difficult task on its own but there are so many other areas of the squad he also has to address.

Liverpool need a new midfielder, a new right-back and probably at least another attacking player, and that's before the club sells anyone else.

There are plenty of possible departures. Alexis Mac Allister's future is up in the air, Cody Gakpo has also been rumoured to be of interest to other clubs.

Meanwhile, Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas could yet depart.

Given the number of departures, it's really important to keep the core of the squad together. Including some of Liverpool's most important players.

Among their stars is Dominik Szoboszlai.

He has been the star player of the club over the last 12 months, and rightfully won the club's Player of the Season award.

Szoboszlai is likely going to become the new face of Liverpool, and someone who could very well become a captain in the future.

He has been negotiating with the club over a new deal for a while and it has been touch and go, but now he has agreed a new deal.