Liverpool are set for their biggest forward-line rebuild at Anfield in recent years this summer. Egyptian star Mohamed Salah has confirmed he will leave on a free transfer at the end of the season, and the club's management and head coach Arne Slot have jointly decided to bring in at least two new wide players while simultaneously trimming surplus attacking options. FSG's senior figures know last season's slump demands another major splurge in the transfer market — even if individual outlays may not match the records set by Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, overhauling the front line is now an irreversible strategic call.
Slot's first call: Diomande above all else
Among all potential targets, RB Leipzig's Ivorian winger Yann Diomande has been clearly marked as Liverpool's "top priority" internally. TEAMtalk, citing club sources, report that the Reds are "pushing full speed" on the deal, even as names such as Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola, Newcastle's Anthony Gordon and West Ham's Jarrod Bowen continue to be linked with Anfield — the hierarchy's position has not budged.
The 19-year-old Diomande has enjoyed a breakout season in Germany, registering 13 goals and nine assists across 35 appearances. Leipzig have tagged him at least €100m, around £87m — a price that has not put Liverpool off; rather, he is viewed as a core asset worth the outlay. David Ornstein has also confirmed that wide reinforcements will move in tandem with Salah's exit. Slot needs more than just a "Salah replacement" — he must also cover for Hugo Ekitike, sidelined for at least six months and possibly nine with an Achilles injury — meaning both a first-choice right-sided forward and a more flexible second attacker must be secured in this window.
Gakpo cleared to leave: the gap between his wages and his output
On the clear-out list, Cody Gakpo’s name is just as prominent. TEAMtalk reporter Graeme Bailey has revealed that the Dutch winger has been granted permission by the club to seek a move away. At 27, Gakpo has fallen well short of expectations this season: creativity in attack has been limited, his understanding with left-back Kerkez has never quite clicked, and the rise of youngster Rio Ngomoha has further squeezed his opportunities. Despite Slot continuing to pick Gakpo over more threatening young alternatives in numerous matches, fan frustration has been building.
What is compounding the club’s headaches is the wage structure. Since renewing his contract last August, Gakpo is on around £250,000 a week, putting him among the highest earners in the squad. The stark gap between his performances and his pay makes selling him a potential financial lever to fund the signing of a second winger. Liverpool are reportedly preparing a bid of around €50m to Monaco for France international Maghnes Akliouche — a left-footed player who mainly operates on the right, with seven goals and 11 assists in 42 appearances this season, having previously turned down interest from Tottenham. Sporting CP’s Francisco Trincão is also on the shortlist: 13 goals and 18 assists in 52 games this season, with the club holding firm on a €60m release clause; Liverpool have taken “concrete steps” to contact the player’s camp, with Arsenal and Chelsea also monitoring the situation.
The Premier League experience factor behind the 12-man shortlist
The Athletic has identified 12 wingers on Liverpool’s radar, six of whom already play in the Premier League: Bournemouth’s Rayan, Tottenham’s Mohamed Kudus, Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon, Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville. The club’s emphasis on top-flight experience is clear—Rayan only joined Bournemouth in January yet has quickly become the focal point of their attack; Bowen and Summerville’s prospects of leaving are closely tied to whether West Ham go down. If Spurs drop into the Championship, Kudus is all but certain to depart; Gordon is also on the radar of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and with Liverpool focused on Diomande, the Bundesliga giants have shifted their attention to Newcastle’s winger.
The possibility of Federico Chiesa returning to Italy is also growing, with Arne Slot never fully convinced to give him regular minutes at Anfield. After Harvey Elliott’s disastrous loan spell at Aston Villa, there is reportedly “little interest” internally in reintegrating him into the first team. Rebuilding the forward line is therefore not just about signings, but a wider set of decisions over who stays and who makes way.
Defensive pillars at a crossroads: Alisson and Van Dijk
Beyond the upheaval up front, Liverpool’s defensive core faces the same kind of reckoning. According to multiple reports, goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s exit is “clearly advancing”, with Juventus the main suitors; journalist David Lynch said he would be “surprised at this stage if the deal does not happen”—with the player holding much of the leverage, and Liverpool unlikely to stand in the way as long as the fee meets their requirements. Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to step up, but the hierarchy still have doubts about his experience and are already looking for a “standout” alternative.
Van Dijk's situation is more complicated. Turkish media report that the Dutch centre-back plans to leave Anfield this summer, with Galatasaray the leading suitors—members of his agency staff were reportedly spotted at RAMS Park. Reports even suggest Van Dijk would be willing to join on a free transfer, seeking a three-year deal in a 2+1 structure. It bears stressing that Van Dijk only extended his contract in April 2025, running until 2027, and remains a first-choice mainstay under Slot—these rumours differ in nature from the confirmed departures of Salah and Andy Robertson, sitting instead in a tug-of-war between player intent and the club's stance. Asked about his summer future, Joe Gomez offered only that "anything can happen"; with one year left on his deal, his tone was cautious but open.
Slot's timeline: Lock in Diomande first, then add a second signing
Drawing together reports from multiple sources, Liverpool's summer window logic is now fairly clear: push hard to land Diomande and complete the right-flank core as soon as possible; departures such as Gakpo and Chiesa would free up wages and squad space for a second wide signing; Trincão, Akloş and a six-man Premier League shortlist form layered alternatives should talks over the primary target drag on. At the same time, Alisson's future will directly shape the pace of rebuilding in goal, while the Van Dijk rumours test whether FSG are willing, after Salah and Robertson, to go through another round of collective core turnover.
For Slot, this is the most critical set of decisions before his second season in charge. Ornstein reports that senior figures at the club believe the Dutch head coach should only face a final verdict in 2026-27, once new signings are in place—in other words, every summer arrival and exit is buying Slot a window to prove whether his leadership and tactical system can still hold up amid a major squad overhaul. With Salah's No. 10 shirt about to lie empty, Gakpo's high wages becoming a burden, and 19-year-old Diomande carrying expectations on the scale of the club's third-most expensive signing ever, Liverpool are using a Summer of Decisions to define the ceiling of their competitiveness over the next three years.
