Liverpool plan £100m move for 'new Mbappe'

Liverpool will return to pre-season next month with a different coach leading the sessions. Andoni Iraola has now been confirmed as the new Anfield manager, replacing Arne Slot.

It kept coming, although FSG's consistent form throughout the campaign meant few were surprised by the change of heart at the end of the season.

But the cracks went too deep; Liverpool's Premier League title defense slipped from the early stages of the campaign, and they have never recovered, so far from the level they reached last year.

Now, the Reds are making changes, and with Mohamed Salah having played his last game at Anfield, Liverpool are ready to replace Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig.

Liverpool are looking for a bigger talent than Diomande

Diomande is only 19 years old, but he is already riding the wave in Germany, having won Leipzig last year. The Ivory Coast star has scored 13 goals and provided ten assists in all competitions, and has been hailed as a “generational talent” by journalist Bence Bocsák.

Diomande's strength is supported by great strength and stamina and athleticism. He ticks all the boxes, and has what it takes to develop into a substitute for Salah on the right.

However, he is not the only striker Liverpool are considering this summer. Bradley Barcola is on the FSG 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, although the Cherries are eyeing the £100m striker.

That said, the price tag announced by Bournemouth suggests a deal could be done, especially if the Frenchman wants to move, especially now that Iraola is in charge at Anfield.

Chelsea and Manchester City both have a strong interest in the 19-year-old, who took the Premier League by storm last year. Liverpool will not be able to sign all of these big-money strikers, but Kroupi could be as good a signing as one of Diomande or Barcola.

Why Kroupi would be better than Liverpool's Diomande

When Kroupi joined Bournemouth last summer, he was coming off the back of a successful season at French side Lorient. However, some did not know that Kroupi played in Ligue 2, and has transitioned to Premier League football seamlessly.

He scored 13 goals for Iraola's team, emphasizing his various roles up front. Even more impressive, perhaps, is the fact that he only missed three big chances, underscoring his natural edge in front of goal.

Kroupi is not a finished subject, but his talent is undeniable. Pundit Daniel Sturridge now believes he is “one of the best finishers in the Premier League”.

It is not hard to see why so many believe this to be the case. No youngster in his first year has ever surpassed Kroupi's value, and his 25% conversion rate speaks to the edge of health that Liverpool lacked. Hugo Ekitike, for example, converted 17% of his chances.

Diomande would be a great addition to Liverpool's squad in transition, but he has yet to break into English territory. Take a look at Florian Wirtz, billed as one of the most talented players in the world, and see how difficult adapting to the Premier League can be from the start.

While Diomande will be a credit to Iraola's system – which will hopefully be more stable than what the Reds have produced under the wing of Slot this year – he hasn't established himself like Kroupi, and stepping into Salah's boots will 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 make sure they put themselves in position to strike this amazing talent, if Bournemouth show the slightest sign of entering the market and allow him to test a move.

Whether Liverpool secure his services remains to be seen, but there is no doubt 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 squad, perhaps even more so than Diomande.