Bigger talent than Diomande: Liverpool line up £100m move for "new Mbappe"

Liverpool will return for pre-season next month with a different coach leading the sessions. Andoni Iraola is now confirmed as Anfield's new head coach, replacing Arne Slot.

It had been coming, though FSG's unshifting stance throughout the campaign did mean that a few were surprised by the change of heart at the end of the season.

But the cracks ran too deep; Liverpool's Premier League title defence crumbled from the early stages of the campaign, and they never recovered, so far removed from the level they reached the year before.

Now, the Reds are ringing the changes, and with Mohamed Salah having played his last at Anfield, Liverpool are ready to replace him with RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande.

Liverpool are targeting a bigger talent than Diomande

Diomande is only 19, but he is already riding the crest of a wave in Germany, having excelled for Leipzig over the past year. The Ivory Coast star scored 13 goals and supplied ten assists in all competitions, and has been hailed as a "generational talent" by journalist Bence Bocsák.

Diomande's potency is underpinned by immense strength and physicality and athleticism. He ticks all the boxes, and he has what it takes to grow into a role as Salah's successor on the right flank.

However, he's not the only forward Liverpool are considering this summer. Bradley Barcola is on FSG's list, but so is a rising Premier League star.

According to The i Paper, Liverpool are interested in signing Eli Junior Kroupi from Bournemouth this summer, though the Cherries consider the £100m-rated forward unsellable.

That said, the price tag declared by Bournemouth insinuates that a deal could be done, especially if the Frenchman agitates for a move, especially now that Iraola is at the Anfield helm.

Chelsea and Manchester City both have a vested interest in the 19-year-old, who has taken the Premier League by storm over the past year. Liverpool won't be able to sign all of these big-money forwards, but Kroupi could be just as good a signing as one of Diomande or Barcola.

Why Kroupi could be better than Diomande for Liverpool

When Kroupi joined Bournemouth last summer, he was coming off the back of a prolific season for Lorient in France. Unbeknownst to some, though, Kroupi played in Ligue 2, and he has transitioned to Premier League football without seam.

He scored 13 goals for Iraola's side, emphatic in his various roles across the frontline. Even more impressive, perhaps, is the fact that he only missed three big chances, emphasising his natural edge in front of goal.

Kroupi is hardly the finished article, but his talent is undeniable. Pundit Daniel Sturridge already believes he is "one of the best finishers in the Premier League".

It's not hard to see why so many believe that is the case. No teenager in their maiden year has ever surpassed Kroupi's total, and his 25% conversion rate tells of a clinical edge that Liverpool have been lacking. Hugo Ekitike, for example, converted 17% of his chances.

Diomande would be an excellent addition to a Liverpool team in transition, but he hasn't yet stepped onto the English scene. Look at Florian Wirtz, billed as one of the most talented playmakers in the world, and see how acclimatising to the Premier League can be a tough task from the get-go.

While Diomande would be a credit to Iraola's system - which will hopefully be more stable than what the Reds have produced under Slot's wing this year - he hasn't proved himself like Kroupi has, and stepping into Salah's boots is going to be a tough ask indeed.

Described by GOAL as "the next Mbappe" a few years ago, Kroupi has the world at his feet, and Liverpool now need to ensure they position themselves to strike for this incredible talent, should Bournemouth show the slightest sign of acquiescing to the market and allowing him to explore a move away.

Whether Liverpool secure his services remains to be seen, but there's no question that Kroupi's eye for goal and the fact that he is already established in the Premier League marks him as the perfect attacking addition to strengthen Iraola's team, perhaps more so than Diomande.

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