Yan Diomande vs. Liverpool's Three Rival Targets: Who's Best Suited to Replace Mohamed Salah?

Liverpool's pursuit of a Mohamed Salah successor is one they cannot afford to get wrong. When the time came to replace Luis Suárez back in 2014, the club made misguided signings that cost them several years of progress. Now, with the campaign concluded, a clearer picture is emerging, and Yan Diomande has reportedly emerged as the primary target.

Diomande and Liverpool being mentioned together is hardly surprising. The 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger has been consistently linked with the club over recent months, alongside Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

However, Diomande is now identified by the Telegraph as the "top target" in Liverpool's efforts to move forward without Salah, who remains contracted to the club for only a few more weeks after agreeing to an early departure.

Other candidates have been explored, but the Anfield leadership want someone with as similar a profile as possible. As a reminder, when Suárez departed, Liverpool prioritised quantity over quality, asking Rickie Lambert to perform beyond his capabilities and taking a gamble on Mario Balotelli. Neither decision proved fruitful.

Diomande will not come cheaply, especially following last summer's record-breaking expenditure of over $600 million. The Côte d'Ivoire international winger has long carried a valuation of €100 million ($116.4 million, £86.4 million) from Leipzig, a figure now understood to represent a release clause.

In some ways, this simplifies proceedings, though Diomande has at least publicly expressed reluctance about departing Leipzig this summer—he now has a first World Cup appearance to look forward to.

Leipzig have previously demonstrated flexibility regarding release clauses, which typically must be paid in full and upfront when triggered. The nature of such a clause can effectively sideline the selling club from negotiations, as was seen when Paris Saint-Germain lured Neymar away from Barcelona.

Generally speaking, however, if a club like Leipzig is set to receive the full sum—just structured differently—an agreement remains achievable. Liverpool triggered a release clause to bring in Dominik Szoboszlai in 2023, while Barcelona managed to negotiate an instalment-based arrangement when acquiring Dani Olmo.

Leipzig can also take the opposite approach, inflating a player's valuation and renegotiating his contract on the basis that he stays another year before being allowed to leave for a more reasonable fee.

That was the dynamic that led to Benjamin Šeško's departure in 2025—ultimately to Manchester United—rather than 2024. Similar tactics have been discussed in relation to Diomande. While Liverpool could likely secure a lower fee in 2027, that does little to address their immediate needs.

Diomande Compared to Salah, Alternative Replacements

Even a below-par season from Mohamed Salah still surpasses most players' standards, making it abundantly clear that filling the Egyptian's boots is no straightforward task.

Among the four most widely discussed candidates on the market, none produced a higher combined tally of goals and assists than Diomande (13 goals, 10 assists) throughout the season. The young Ivorian narrowly edged out Salah, though some may point out that the Bundesliga is a more forgiving league, and Leipzig had no European involvement whatsoever during the campaign.

Diomande is also set to be the most costly option. Anthony Gordon would follow, at approximately $101 million (£75 million), and Newcastle United appear to have accepted that a sale is inevitable after the club failed to secure European qualification—manager Eddie Howe justified his surprising omission of the player this month by citing the club's focus on "the future."

Among all the candidates, 25-year-old Gordon is the most immediately ready for the level Liverpool demand. His Premier League numbers were underwhelming, but his 10 Champions League goals—six in the league stage—set a new Newcastle record. Still a teenager, Diomande is clearly still maturing. While his potential ceiling may be the highest, that is far from guaranteed.

West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen—one of the few bright spots in a relegation campaign—also contributed 23 goal involvements. His output was more balanced than any other candidate considered here, with 11 goals and 12 assists, making him the closest stylistic match to Salah. Both Bowen and Gordon have established themselves in the Premier League specifically.

Bowen and Maghnes Akliouche, the Monaco talent who is the least prominent of the four main contenders, could attract comparable transfer fees in the vicinity of $80 million (£60 million). Akliouche, named in France's 2026 World Cup squad, leans more toward assists than goals and is therefore not necessarily the closest match to Salah's style and profile.

*To be terminated 12 months early