Liverpool's Future: Meet the £17.5m Winger Replacing Mohamed Salah (2026)

Liverpool is reportedly in highly advanced negotiations to recruit a winger from RB Leipzig as a potential Mohamed Salah replacement, with a price tag around £17.5 million. The club recently moved Luis Díaz to Bayern Munich and saw Diogo Jota depart, leaving Arne Slot with only one fresh wide player in Florian Wirtz. While Wirtz has settled in on Merseyside, Klopp’s squad has shown mixed form from Cody Gakpo and limited chances for Federico Chiesa, with Mohamed Salah recently benched in a couple of matches. Salah, who turns 34 next year and has a contract until 2027, was benched for Liverpool’s most recent fixture, a 1-1 draw with Sunderland, though he’s expected to reclaim a starting spot against Leeds United.

In response to Salah’s evolving role, Liverpool’s leadership are reportedly exploring options to enrich the frontline. Sky Sports Switzerland links Yan Diomande, the 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger, to a move, with Teutonic side Leipzig having signed him for £17.5m from Leganés this summer. Diomande has quickly adapted, tallying four goals and four assists across 14 appearances in the 2025-26 season. There are whispers of very advanced talks between Liverpool and Diomande’s camp, and Spurs are also said to be interested, while Barcelona have shown curiosity but are not in active negotiations with his representatives.

Leipzig are not publicly discussing a transfer, and Diomande’s contract runs through 2030, giving Leipzig room to demand a premium. The 2006-born Ivory Coast international has already scored twice in four senior appearances and is a potential nominee for the Ivory Coast squad defending their Africa Cup of Nations title.

What could Diomande bring to Liverpool? A versatile attacker who prefers the right or left flank, Diomande’s best production this season comes from the left wing. He could theoretically step into Salah’s role positionally, though not as a direct substitute for the legendary forward. In the past year, he’s been among Europe’s top wingers for progressive carries (approximately 6.66 per game) and successful take-ons (about 4.01 per game). He also ranks highly for shot-creating actions (roughly 5.23 per game) and carries into the penalty box (around 3.44 per game), underscoring why interest from Liverpool and Barcelona has intensified.