Liverpool ACCELERATE talks for Mo Salah replacement

Liverpool have been doing their due-diligence in the winger market for a couple of months now.

Initially, the focus was on the left-hand side, since Luis Diaz wasn't replaced in the summer when he joined Bayern Munich for £65m. Young talent Rio Ngumoha had been earmarked to the Reds' backup for Cody Gakpo this season, but it's clear that Arne Slot isn't willing to give him regular game time.

As such, rumours have started to come out linking the club to Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, who has a release clause that is ripe for activating when the January window arrives.

The Ghanaian would certainly give the Reds new dynamic to use in their attack, putting opposition defenders under pressure with a more varied and unpredictable style of play, much like Diaz had.

However, the recent drama with Mohamed Salah has meant that preliminary talks for a new right-sided player are starting to accelerate, and a target to replace the Egyptian has been identified.

Interest in Diomande deepens

It was already understood that Liverpool were keeping tabs on RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, and for good reason too - the 19-year-old delivered a hat-trick in midweek against Eintracht Frankfurt.

He's now scored seven goals and registered three assists this season, from 15 appearances. He's averaging 63 minutes a game, and for someone of his age, that's an extraordinary achievement.

The pressure on him has been tempered slightly by Leipzig having missed out on qualifying for Europe last season, meaning he's only got the domestic cups and the Bundesliga to focus on.

But that context shouldn't be used to dismiss how impressive he is. Having the talent to succeed is one thing, but it's another thing to make an impact straight away. He looks to be destined for the top.

On top of the talks that Liverpool have had with Leipzig over a potential move, TeamTalk are now reporting that the Reds' interest is 'accelerating' as 'Arne Slot and Richard Hughes see Diomande as the perfect long-term successor to Mohamed Salah, whose future beyond this season remains uncertain'.

No official bid has been launched, primarily because the transfer window doesn't open for a few weeks and Leipzig value the Ivory Coast winger at €100m, but 'daily contact' is taking place between the club and his agents, which suggests that a significant transfer could be on the cards in future.

If it's a genuine possibility that Salah leaves in January, then a drastic move could be brought forward, but a transfer of that magnitude rarely happens during the middle of a season. We're in unprecedented times at Liverpool, but it's truly quite hard to envision those events unfolding.

Nonetheless, the club is thinking on its feet and there's something to be said for that.

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