Lewis Steele: €20m forward is the ‘frontrunner’ to replace Mo Salah at Liverpool

Lewis Steele: €20m forward is the ‘frontrunner’ to replace Mo Salah at Liverpool

Liverpool Targeting Yan Diomande as Arne Slot Plans Summer Reset

The latest Anfield Index podcast featuring Dave Davis and Lewis Steele placed Liverpool’s attacking rebuild front and centre, with clear emphasis on the need for reinforcements. As Liverpool prepare for another season under Arne Slot, the conversation turned sharply towards recruitment, and in particular, interest in Yan Diomande.

Two Attackers Required After Salah Departure

Steele did not hesitate when outlining Liverpool’s priority. “Two attackers have got to come in to replace Mo Salah. It’s that drastic for you.” That framing captures the scale of the challenge facing the club.

He expanded on the reasoning, stating, “with him leaving, I think that replacing him is the biggest priority for Liverpool this summer.” The issue is not just replacing one player, but compensating for sustained elite output. Steele underlined the difficulty, asking, “how do you replace a player who scored that many goals in the last nine years and got x number of assists as well?”

There is no direct replacement on the market, and Steele acknowledged that reality, “there isn’t a player on the market that has those numbers.” His solution is pragmatic, “that’s why I think two forwards need to come in and you sort of replace him in the aggregate.”

Yan Diomande Emerges as Key Target

Among the names discussed, Yan Diomande stood out as a leading option. Steele revealed, “I feel like Diomande is the front runner and wouldn’t be surprised at all if he is the one that ends up as the Salah replacement.”

This is not presented as a certainty, but the consistency of links is notable. Steele added, “there’s more links even coming out today around him,” reinforcing the idea that Liverpool’s interest is active rather than speculative.

Diomande fits the broader recruitment model, young, adaptable, and capable of developing further. However, Steele also urged caution around expectations, particularly for any incoming forward tasked with filling Salah’s void.