Diomande could be ideal Salah replacement for Liverpool, says Carragher

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Jamie Carragher believes RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande could be a good fit for Liverpool as they look to replace Mohamed Salah ahead of next season.

Liverpool are facing an important summer under new boss Andoni Iraola, with Anfield icons Salah and Andy Robertson both departing as free agents.

Salah’s influence will be particularly missed, as his exit comes a little over a year after he matched the Premier League’s single-season goal involvement record (47) during Liverpool’s 2024-25 title-winning campaign.

Salah is Liverpool’s all-time leading scorer and assister in the Premier League, netting 191 goals in the competition for the Reds and teeing up 93.

The Reds have already clinched a €40m (£34.5m) deal to sign winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna, but they are believed to be in the market for more additions in the wide areas, with Diomande their main target. 

Diomande registered 22 goal involvements for Leipzig in 2025-26, scoring 13 times and providing a joint-team-high nine assists.

Among Bundesliga players in all competitions, only Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise (140) completed more dribbles than Diomande (132) throughout the campaign, and he has carried his good form into the World Cup.

Diomande produced a Man-of-the-Match display as Ivory Coast defeated Ecuador 1-0 in their opening match, before playing a key role in their goal in a 2-1 defeat to Germany. 

And Carragher has seen enough to believe Liverpool would be right to target the 19-year-old, who has also been linked with Paris Saint-Germain.

“I’m not watching RB Leipzig every week, but he’s had a big impact in Germany, there’s no doubt about that. I see his stats and stuff on social media,” Carragher told Sky Sports.

“He was fantastic in the first game at the World Cup, less so in the second game, but he was still a real danger and set up the goal for his side.

“I think what we’d be buying is potential, not what he is now. He’s a 19-year-old kid, but when you look at him, physically, he looks like he has all the attributes.

“When you think of all the success Liverpool have had with quick, physical wide players… Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, especially those two.

“He looks to have those types of traits, and that’s what Liverpool lacked last season, pace in the wide areas.

“They already have one signing in, in Munoz from Osasuna, and I think you’d want some pace opposite him as well. That looks like where they’re going in the market.

“Is he worth it? Time will tell. Liverpool spent big last year and at the moment you’d say those players weren’t worth it, but they still have time.

“It’s not my money, so if Liverpool want him, get him!”

Diomande is looking to help Ivory Coast reach the World Cup knockout stages for the very first time, and a point against Curacao on Thursday would ensure their progression.

Diomande looks certain to leave Leipzig, who appointed former Argentina centre-back Martin Demichelis as their new head coach on Monday, though their asking price is reportedly in the region of €130m (£112m).

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