Liverpool begin talks to sign £51m Diaz replacement

Last season, little was expected of Arne Slot’s Liverpool. In the overtures to the campaign, anyway.

But then Liverpool started playing, started to strut their stuff in a new system. Slot’s side ceded ground in just two of their opening 13 Premier League matches, creating a gulf that proved too wide for the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City to bridge.

In fairness, the overarching scepticism was understandable. Jurgen Klopp had stood down from his revered post, and historic cases of similarity in the Premier League suggested the Reds were in for a rough ride.

But FSG chose wisely when swiping Feyenoord’s shrewd head coach, who indeed won the English top flight in his maiden year and did so with relative ease.

Now, Liverpool are showing ruthless ambition in the summer transfer market as they look to consolidate their position of power over the coming years.

So many bumper deals have been pulled off already, the latest of which is set to be the £79m signing of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, but Luis Diaz’s uncertain future could see another one cross the line.

Liverpool looking to replace Luis Diaz

Liverpool have completed a plethora of exciting signings this summer, and there may well be more still to come. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Real Madrid, and now Diaz could be on the move too.

The Colombian winger, 28, has just shy of two years remaining on his contract, and Liverpool have not engaged in any concrete talks to extend his stay on Merseyside.

While the outward stance has been that Diaz is not for sale, FSG may have a tacit acceptance that he could be sold, with Bayern Munich pressing ahead and trying to sign him after seeing an opening £58.5m offer knocked back earlier in July.

It goes without saying that Liverpool would need to replace such a crucial part of Slot’s set-up, and while the likes of Real Madrid’s Rodrygo have been touted, the Reds seem willing to head down a shrewder track.

Liverpool open talks for Diaz replacement

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool chiefs are holding talks with the agents of Malick Fofana, who has been linked with a move away from Lyon this summer.

Bayern are also keen on signing the Belgium international, but only if Liverpool bar Diaz’s potential departure this summer. Thus, Liverpool shouldn’t face stiff competition if the various cogs fall into place.

Lyon would hope to secure as much as €60m (£51m) for Fofana’s sale, but FSG would no doubt hope to sign the 20-year-old for a more modest figure.

Why Liverpool want Malick Fofana

Liverpool want Fofana because, if Diaz leaves, they will need to sign a left-sided forward. But why, specifically, has Fofana been earmarked as an option alongside a superstar such as Rodrygo, who Los Blancos have priced at £87m?

Well, Fofana would come at a cheaper price, and with Cody Gakpo already occupying Liverpool’s attacking left flank, this might be a more prudent move.

Fofana’s term-and-a-half in Ligue 1 has garnered praise. Analyst Ben Mattinson hailed his “explosive” qualities down the wing, and having now completed 62 senior appearances for Lyon after joining from Genk in Belgium, he has scored 15 goals and supplied seven assists.

Moreover, he’s positionally versatile, with this a skill which Slot would put to good use, for he did the same with Diaz last season.

Though he’s not yet reached full bloom, Fofana has the makings of a prolific winger, and in this way, he could be the perfect partner for Ekitike, who is on the brink of completing his move to Merseyside.

As per FBref, Fofana ranked among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for non-penalty goals, the top 16% for touches in the attacking box and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90, underscoring his burgeoning potency and pace.

In order to maximise Fofana’s potential as a goalscoring winger, playing alongside a “complete forward” like Ekitike, as he has been named by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would only enhance such a quality.

Ekitike might be a striker first and foremost, but he’s also an exceptionally dynamic and intelligent player. Last season, in the German Bundesliga, he created 12 big chances and averaged 1.3 key passes and 4.2 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.

Slot will expect the France talent to add goalscoring threat, but he’ll also expect him to widen the creative parameters of his frontline, utilising that off-the-ball movement and playmaking prowess to enhance Mohamed Salah’s chances, and indeed Fofana’s too.

Further evidence of Fofana’s clinical potential can be found in his conversion rate. Sofascore also record that the young winger has only missed six big chances since arriving in France for the first time in January 2024, and given that he’s scored eight goals, he’s got that natural-born coolness in the final third to make things happen.

Moreover, his efforts in the Europa League last year had something interesting to say about his potential. Fofana scored six goals across Lyon’s continental campaign without missing a single big chance.

There’s so much to like, and given the richness of Liverpool’s squad, which will be richer still once Ekitike’s deal has been wrapped up, Fofana would make a wise decision in entrusting Slot with his development over the next few years.