Liverpool make £87m star the “priority” for Iraola

At the start of a new era at Anfield, Liverpool‘s strategy under FSG remains the same.

The Reds had fallen by the wayside under Arne Slot this season, so detached from the title-winning success of the previous year. As they limped to the finish line in the Premier League, it felt like a clean break was the only way forward, toxicity levels having consumed the project.

Slot did record a fifth-place finish, thus securing Liverpool a place in next year’s Champions League, but Andoni Iraola should bring a more flavoursome and intense style of football to Merseyside, one the fanbase has been pining for.

For that, Liverpool need a couple of new forwards.

Liverpool make attacking signings their “priority”

On Friday evening, Fabrizio Romano retweeted a previous post about Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, detailing rising interest in the French forward, who could leave the French capital this summer.

Principally, but not exclusively, a left-sided forward, Barcola, 23, is one of the best in the business, though he doesn’t always start for Luis Enrique’s side, up against the likes of Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

A move to Liverpool could help him take the next step in his career, but he’s not the only one on FSG’s wishlist.

According to transfer reporter Ben Jacobs, speaking to talkSPORT, Liverpool’s interest in Barcola is all well and good, but RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande is their “priority” target in attack.

Valued at a starting fee of £87m, which is bound to increase as PSG rival the Reds for Diomande’s signature, Liverpool are going to have to dig into their pockets once again this summer, but the 19-year-old is certainly worth paying for.

With Mohamed Salah leaving the club, FSG need to nail his replacement on the right, and Diomande could be the perfect option to spark the Iraola era into life.

Why Diomande could be a superstar for Liverpool

The Redmen TV’s Dan Clubbe has said that Diomande has the “finishing ability of Sadio Mane“, already emulating that elite former Liverpool forward as he bursts onto the scene.

There are bound to be certain reservations over striking a deal for a teenager who has only spent one season playing consistent top-flight football, but Diomande has enjoyed a staggering rise to the top, with the underlying data to suggest that he will tick many boxes when entering the Premier League arena.

Could Diomande prove a better signing than Barcola? They would both arrive for similar transfer fees, and Barcola is certainly more profligate than his Ivory Coast counterpart.

In a way, this variation could bear dividends for Iraola’s Liverpool next season, one more creative and one more incisive in the box. In any case, Liverpool fans should get excited, with both forwards among the most exciting in the world.

Of course, Liverpool’s ambitious drive to return to the top could see them sign both wingers, and that would hand Iraola the keys to superstardom. However, there’s a real case to be made that Diomande would be the more exciting of the two, even with Barcola currnelty boasting more stock and career success.

Barcola is one of Europe’s top forwards, but it says something about Diomande’s potential that he is already hitting even higher beats despite his limited action at the top.

In fact, given that Barcola has not enjoyed as formidable a campaign as he did during 2024/25, you could say that Diomande is even more exciting, someone who can replace Salah and spearhead a resurgent Liverpool toward football’s biggest titles.