Slot could sign “elite” £70m Van Dijk replacement for Liverpool

Liverpool nonetheless have a number of fixtures to play games to near the stream Premier League marketing campaign however there may be slight query that fanatics are spontaneously looking ahead to the summer time switch marketplace and a pristine presen underneath Arne Slot.

Slot is utmost a trophy-laden necromancy with Feyenoord to snatch the reins at Anfield and be triumphant the esteemed Jurgen Klopp, who has lifted Liverpool to illustrious heights and has cemented mythical condition on Merseyside.

However then months and suits and thrillfests during the process the season, Liverpool have discovered themselves a age overdue and a buck decrease on the ultimate stretch, struggling a depressing reduce in method that has pulled the squad clear of the Premier League identify race then falling within the FA Cup and Europa League.

Michael Edwards – joined by way of friend Richard Hughes – has woven his elite industry savvy into FSG’s fashion and has moved incisively in order Slot to the membership. Participant signings will quickly observe.

Slot may just offer excess deplete to Amorim

Consistent with Portuguese outlet Document, Liverpool were passed a large spice up of their bid to signal Wearing centre-back Ousmane Diomande, with the Liga Portugal table-toppers already creation to evaluate the marketplace for replacements.

Diomande, elderly 20, has a £70m shed clause in his word and Liverpool were named as one of the crucial suitors, even sending scouts to look at the Ivorian in motion.

Led by way of former Reds managerial goal Ruben Amorim, Wearing might be dealt an ironic deplete by way of Liverpool in bolstering their ranks with certainly one of its maximum prodigious skills in Diomande, scoring an rapid good fortune for Slot as he sculpts his squad.

Why Liverpool must signal Ousmane Diomande

Diomande is best younger however he has already established himself as one of the thrilling emerging defenders in Europe, attracting a swarm of hobby from manage golf equipment similar to Arsenal and Chelsea.

Closing season, Diomande began 11 occasions within the Portuguese manage flying and performed 120 mins as Amorim’s outfit defeated Arsenal on consequences within the Europa League, however he has actually come into his personal this time period and risen to a place of prominence in Wearing’s soon-to-be league champions, 5 issues sunny of second-place Benfica with 3 fixtures difference.

As in line with Sofascore, the defensive titan has began 23 suits in Liga Portugal this season, scoring two objectives, finishing 91% of his passes, averaging 1.5 tackles and clearances and 5.3 ball healings in line with sport day succeeding with 75% of his dribbles, successful 65% of his contested duels, and making only one error prominent to shot.

When evaluating those statistics to his efforts closing yr, it’s sunny that Diomande has already advanced his talents, been extra tough in his athletic skill and sharper in defensive moments.

It is a bundle to unpack however, successfully, such metrics exhibit a top quality technical skill that permits Diomande to guard a juiceless passing sport day sporting the ball ahead himself to stretch strains from deep and tug warring parties towards him, developing dimension.

That is one thing that Ibrahima Konate does rather well, with the France world score a number of the manage 9% of centre-backs throughout Europe’s manage 5 leagues over the era yr for ambitious passes, the manage 12% for ambitious carries and the manage 19% for a hit take-ons in line with 90, as in line with FBref.

Diomande doesn’t reasonably boast the similar snap and ahead power as Liverpool’s tough-tackling defender however he’s arguably nurturing an much more whole talent prepared, having scarcely emerged from his teenager years too.

Certainly, Diomande ranks a number of the manage 5% of positional friends throughout sections homogeneous to the Liga Portugal for objectives, the manage 20% for shot-creating movements, the manage 3% for go of entirety, the manage 4% for passes tried, the manage 8% for ambitious passes and the manage 18% for a hit take-ons in line with 90.

Hailed as “incredibly complete” by way of Jacek Kulig, Diomande may just end up to be a laboratory-grown inheritor to Virgil van Dijk’s place within the Liverpool rearguard, with the 32-year-old Dutchman drawing near the extreme section of his Merseyside occupation.

Passed the captaincy closing summer time, Van Dijk has lengthy been considered “the best defender” – consistent with the ones similar to Manchester Town’s Erling Haaland – and day Liverpool were out of types in recent years, he has been a steely pillar of energy and management.

Certainly, the £220k-per-week sensation has began 33 fixtures within the English manage flying for his resurgent aspect this season, finishing 91% of his passes, averaging 4.8 ball healings in line with sport and successful a fantastic 77% of his duels.

He additionally ranks a number of the manage 12% of centre-backs for assists, the manage 3% for shot-creating movements and the manage 10% for go of entirety and ambitious passes in line with 90, with similarities that Diomande may just latch onto and take in as he sharpens his personal sport to a advantageous level.

However he’s just about 33 years vintage and out of word on the finish of the 2024/25 marketing campaign, and day Liverpool will prioritise renewing phrases for the stalwart, Diomande is of the easiest profile that might upload a layer of coverage because the Reds go back to the Champions League after yr.

With Joel Matip lately convalescing from an anterior cruciate ligament rupture and prone to drop Anfield when his word expires this summer time, touchdown a emerging famous person of Diomande’s calibre would best grant to cement Liverpool’s probabilities of restoring their backline to its magnificient, steeliest energy.

Jarell Quansah is a skilled younger defender however Konate and Van Dijk will wish to range the workload and strikes should be made to retain Diomande’s products and services.