Angus is a freelance analytical writer for Football FanCast.
Having graduated from Southampton Solent University with a degree in Sports Journalism in 2022, Angus found a home at FFC after previously writing for Vavel and OurSoundMusic.
A fervent Liverpool supporter, Angus has covered a range of Premier League clubs, from both Merseyside outfits, to the Old Gold of Wolverhampton and the South Coast of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Outside of football, he is a voracious reader and plays the piano.
Now that the ship is stable, Liverpool will be setting their sights on a confident top-four finish in the Premier League while challenging for silverware in the Champions League and FA Cup.
But it’s clear that injury problems have left Arne Slot’s squad on the verge of disaster, with the defence, in particular, shorn of depth it already did not have.
FSG spent richly last summer, though, and it’s clear that Liverpool will only move for a new regular if confident they will get bang for their buck.
While the backline is a priority for Slot and technical director Richard Hughes, it remains to be seen if the Reds might move for a new forward, especially with Mohamed Salah’s future uncertain.
Liverpool lining up big-money forward
Less than a year ago, Salah signed a new £400k-per-week contract with Liverpool, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2026/27 campaign.
A December fallout with Slot has jeapordised the club legend’s position in the Reds first team, though the African Cup of Nations came at a fortuitous time following Salah’s reintegration against Brighton.
Still, the 33-year-old is approaching the later stage of his illustrious career, and Liverpool need a replacement. Antoine Semenyo was on the radar, with Hughes having made calls for the former Bournemouth star in November, but action was not taken and now he plays for Manchester City.
Perhaps FSG are simply biding their time. According to reports relayed by TEAMtalk, Liverpool have learned that Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to strike a deal with RB Leipzig this month, and thus they may need to accelerate their interest in the 19-year-old winger, one of the most coveted prospects in Europe.
Diomande has already expressed his interest to play for boyhood club Liverpool, but with a transfer value ranging from around £87m to £100m, he would be anything but cheap.
Still, Liverpool showed they were willing to spend the big bucks on a top Bundesliga talent in Florian Wirtz last year, and now they could repeat the trick.
How Yan Diomande would fit in at Liverpool
Diomande’s natural talent and abiity to adapt marks him as a candidate to step up during the Salah succession at Liverpool. He’s young, embryonic in his professional career, but he’s also gone from strength to strength in a short time in Germany, having been hailed as a “generational talent” by journalist Bence Bocsak.
Having been knocked out of AFCON by Salah’s Egypt this week, the Ivorian can hold his head high, having been an electric-paced and aggressive figure throughout the competition, creating two chances and 3.8 dribbles on average each game, as per Sofascore.
That’s exactly that type of player Liverpool need, especially when considering he’s combative too. Semenyo was on the radar, but for reasons unbeknownst to the masses right now, FSG and Hughes did not pounce.
But looking at the two wingers, it’s curious to observe how similar they are.
Antoine Semenyo vs Yan Diomande (past 12 months)
Stats (per 90)
Semenyo
Diomande
Goals scored
0.43
0.50
Assists
0.16
0.19
Shots taken
2.53
2.14
Shot-creating actions
3.52
5.21
Touches (att pen)
4.60
6.91
Pass completion (%)
71.8
81.9
Progressive passes
3.26
3.52
Progressive carries
3.63
6.62
Successful take-ons
1.61
4.08
Ball recoveries
4.28
6.15
Tackles + interceptions
1.86
2.64
Data via FBref
Liverpool could hit the jackpot here, signing one of Europe’s most talent up-and-comers in what would be a Wirtz repeat to ease any frustration around missing out on Semenyo.
Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for a whopping £116m, and he has been one of the most scrutinised players in the Premier League this year, somewhat unjustly, somewhat fairly.
But Wirtz stepped into a dysfunctional, and the 22-year-old is now beginning to shine, one of the silkiest and most dynamic playmakers in Europe.
Likewise, Diomande has many strings to his bow, and the teenage winger has what it takes to perform as a complete wide forward in the Premier League over the coming years.
The aforementioned Bocsak has also said that the Leipzig talent is “destined to be special”, but it’s hard to argue that this is not already the case.
Even if it took Diomande a time to adapt to the rigours of the English game, as has been the case with Wirtz, his surpassing quality is undeniable, and he would thrive for the Anfield side in good time, as is becoming the case with Wirtz.
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