TWO stars want to join Liverpool as FSG identify FOUR managers to replace Arne Slot | OneFootball

Yan Diomande has openly revealed that he wants to play for Liverpool, while a reliable journalist has claimed that Marc Guehi would prefer to move to Anfield to switch to Manchester City from Crystal Palace, as sources disclose to TEAMtalk the names of four managers Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have on their radar as a potential replacement for Arne Slot.

Liverpool may not be in the race for the Premier League title this season, but the Reds remain a big attraction for top players. Under manager Arne Slot last season, Liverpool won the Premier League, and who knows, as unlikely as it may seem now, they could end up clinching the Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign.

Yan Diomande wants ‘to play for Liverpool’

It is common for young players around the world to have the ambition to play for Liverpool, and one such budding star is Yan Diomande.

The RB Leipzig winger is just 19 years of age and has already established himself among the best young players in the Bundesliga.

Our transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, reported on January 8 that Liverpool are among the clubs that are keen on Diomande and have been scouting him this season.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have also taken a shine to the Ivory Coast international winger.

Diomande has now publicly revealed that he wants to play for Liverpool.

The winger said in French during a live stream on Instagram, as relayed by DaveOCOP on X: “I want to play at Anfield, I want to play for Liverpool.

“I’m a big Liverpool fan. My father’s dream is to see me play for Liverpool.”

Marc Guehi ‘prefers’ Liverpool to Manchester City

While Diomande has publicly revealed his desire to play for Liverpool, Marc Guehi has been less forthcoming in his plans for the future.

Sources have told our transfer insider, Dean Jones, that Manchester City are planning a bid of £35million (€40.3m, $47.1m) for Guehi, who is out of contract at Crystal Palace at the end of the season.

Liverpool tried to sign Guehi on the final day of the 2025 summer transfer window, and although they failed, we understand that the Reds are keen on a 2026 deal for the England international.

The Athletic’s Manchester City correspondent, Sam Lee, has revealed that a source has told him that Guehi ‘prefers’ Liverpool to Man City.

Lee said on the Let Me Talk podcast on Thursday: “On Monday night, I was told by somebody who knows what’s going on at City, but also I think probably Palace as well, he said he thinks Guehi wants to stay until the summer and he prefers Liverpool in any case.

“Somebody else messaged me on Twitter, and I know he’s very good on other club stuff, he was like, ‘Yeah, he wants to stay until the summer and he prefers Liverpool and Arsenal’.

“I was like, ‘Well I haven’t heard Arsenal,’ but that kind of tallies what I’d been told the night before.

“But obviously Glasner then did his press conference, and he actually specifically said about City, and did he not say they wanted to sign a centre-back from City, which is obviously Ake, but they’re obviously not going to sell Ake now anyway. There’s no way.”

Just because Guehi prefers Liverpool does not mean that Man City are not going to be able to sign the Palace star this month.

Our transfer insider, Dean Jones, said on our latest Facebook live broadcast on Friday: “Marc Guehi would make a lot of money by moving as a free agent at the end of the season.

“Obviously, that’s not the be-all and end all for him. It’s also about making sure he ends up at the best club he could possibly end up at.

“And the chances of doing that are obviously better when you’re a free agent, so that’s when you start to get Bayern Munich and Barcelona and Real Madrid coming to the table.

“For now, he’s got the possibility of joining Manchester City because of the injuries that they’ve suffered recently. There’s a chance that he can go there.

“Now, Man City obviously were very smart around Antoine Semenyo. They managed to get him in a deal that’s slightly outside of the release clause by allowing him to stay at Bournemouth for extra games, so they’ve been able to repackage the deal that suited them in a better way.

“With Marc Guehi, from what I understand, they might have to get smart here and help him make up the money that he would get as a free agent.

“Because joining Man City’s no bad thing, even in comparison to Real Madrid and Barcelona.

“You join Man City this season, you could try and win the league. You could go into the World Cup as a Premier League winner rather than just as a Crystal Palace player whose future’s up in the air.

“So, if City can find a way of satisfying his personal needs on a sporting level and also on an ambition level, then I think they might be able to make a breakthrough.”

Liverpool’s Arne Slot ‘contingency plans’

Liverpool do not have any immediate plans to sack Arne Slot as the manager, but FSG are considering options should they have to get rid of the Dutchman.

Our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, has reported that Liverpool have ‘contingency plans’ in place should FSG sack Slot.

While Slot’s current position as the Liverpool manager is safe, a review will be done at the end of the season.

Sources have told us that Liverpool have already identified four candidates to potentially replace Slot.

Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace, Roberto De Zerbi of Marseille, Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth and FC Porto boss Francesco Farioli are the four names on FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes’ list.