Liverpool seriously considering move for £87m winger

Liverpool have made it clear that they are looking to close a deal for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande at the start of the summer transfer window, with the building saga having received David Ornstein’s stamp of approval.

It’s a good thing. The Reds have been abject this season, and though they look like they will scrape Champions League qualification through a fifth-place finish, there are so many fundamental imbalances about Arne Slot‘s team, and the general consensus right now is that maintaining the faith in the under-fire head coach is a major gamble.

After all, this has been a campaign on a level with the disastrous 2014/15 season under Brendan Rodgers.

But FSG appear to have rolled the dice, backing Slot and allowing Xabi Alonso to take the reins at Stamford Bridge. If this is indeed the owners’ decision, then Slot will need new parts this summer, with more than one winger lined up.

Romano confirms Liverpool interest in Diomande rival

Diomande is the top target right now, and understandably so: the 19-year-old burst onto the scene this season and has dazzled as one of the top wingers in the Bundesliga.

He’s riding the crest of a wave all right, but for £87m, Liverpool will need to get bang for their buck from the get-go. With that in mind, could Liverpool turn their transfer cannon in a different direction?

Well, according to Fabrizio Romano, observers would be wise to keep Bradley Barcola in mind, with the Paris Saint-Germain left winger very much on Anfield sporting director Richard Hughes’ radar.

The transfer guru established in a recent update Liverpool’s deep admiration for the player, having explored a bid last summer but withdrew due to focus being on signing Alexander Isak.

With PSG also in the frame for Diomande, Barcola could then emerge as a “serious option” for those on Merseyside.

Valued at £87m, there’s a sense that the Les Bleus star’s price tag could drop. He has been engaged in protracted contract discussions with his employers for some time, but there still hasn’t been a breakthrough, and FSG may well spy an opening.

Why Barcola would be a bigger coup than Diomande

Barcola is only 23, but he’s already sparkling with silverware after several prolific years in the French capital with PSG. Last season, he scored 21 goals and supplied 21 assists en route to the quadruple.

A mulit-functional winger, Barcola can play across the frontline, something that Diomande can do too. Either rising star would be a statement signing from the Reds, but given that Barcola has already established himself at the top of the game, there’s a sense that he would arrive at Anfield and make an instant impact, perhaps creating more ripples than Diomande on the right.

The Ivory Coast international is still a fledgling after all.

This year, Barcola has been frustrated by a shared role on the left wing with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has been breathtaking for Luis Enrique. It might be that a move away would be the best move for all parties concerning Barcola.

Hailed as “one of the best left wingers in Europe” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, Barcola is still getting going. He could hit a new level in a Liverpool project that would give him a starring role out on the left flank, an upgrade on Gakpo and a pace setter for the young and exciting Rio Ngumoha to follow.

Diomande might be an exciting talent, but Barcola is already one of the best in the business, and it’s crucial that Liverpool secure his signature as quickly as possible, before he has the chance to shine for France at the World Cup and see his market value skyrocket.

There’s every chance that Liverpool sign both this summer. It would certainly be some business for a side whose struggles out on the wings have jeapordised their title-challenging chances this season.

But if FSG only have the means to complete one mega-money deal, it has to be for Barcola, who has already hit the top of the game and still searches for a club who are willing to develop him into their talisman.