Liverpool's Summer Transfer Strategy: Diomande and Trincao Targets

Liverpool’s summer rebuild is taking clear aim at the flanks – and the next wide forward through the door may already be in sight.

With Mohamed Salah set to walk away on a free despite having a year left on his deal, Anfield’s most reliable source of goals and chaos is about to disappear. He might not be alone. Federico Chiesa has gone public with his stance: he wants out unless new head coach Andoni Iraola guarantees him a bigger role. Cody Gakpo, meanwhile, is no longer ring‑fenced. Fabrizio Romano has stated Liverpool will listen to “important proposals” for the Dutchman.

This is not a gentle reshaping of a forward line. It is a full-scale rewire.

Diomande the marquee target – and Gakpo the bargaining chip?

Liverpool’s primary obsession is clear. Yan Diomande, the explosive 19‑year‑old at RB Leipzig, has emerged as the headline target for the wings. The Athletic report Leipzig now value him at over €130m (£112m), a fee that would test even Liverpool’s renewed financial muscle.

The price has not scared them off. David Ornstein has detailed how Liverpool are in a stronger position than PSG to agree personal terms with the Ivorian, and that talks between the clubs have already begun. The interest is serious, the pursuit active.

To make the numbers work, Liverpool may have to be creative. TEAMtalk have reported that Gakpo has been floated as a potential makeweight in negotiations with Leipzig to drag that huge asking price down. The notion of Tottenham smashing their transfer record for Gakpo has surfaced elsewhere, but that feels far more speculative than the Leipzig route, where there is at least a clear line between need and opportunity.

Strip it back and the picture is stark: Salah going, Chiesa pushing to go, Gakpo available. That is potentially three wingers out of the door. One superstar teenager, however gifted, does not cover that level of churn.

Which is where Francisco Trincao comes in.

Trincao back on the big stage

Liverpool’s interest in the Sporting CP winger has been bubbling for weeks. Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha recently outlined that the club were giving serious consideration to a move, and Iraola’s arrival has not altered the plan. The new manager has not pressed pause. The idea of Trincao in red remains very much alive.

It is not hard to see why. After a forgettable loan spell at Wolves in 2021/22 while still on Barcelona’s books, Trincao returned to Portugal and quietly rebuilt his reputation. Sporting first took him on loan, then made the deal permanent in 2023. Since then, his numbers – and his influence – have surged.

Last season he delivered 13 goals and 18 assists in all competitions, 31 direct goal contributions from a wide role. For the second year running he earned a place in the Primeira Liga team of the season. The left-footer has grown into a decisive, end-product winger, not just a stylistic luxury.

Now, according to Record, Liverpool are the club “closest” to triggering his €60m (£52m) release clause. The same report places them “top of the list” of likely suitors this summer. In a market where elite wide players routinely go for far more, a fixed fee for a 26‑year‑old in his prime, with back‑to‑back standout seasons behind him, carries obvious appeal.

A double move that defines an era

Put the pieces together and a plan emerges. Diomande as the statement signing: the raw, high‑ceiling wide forward to build around for the next decade. Trincao as the ready-made contributor: a polished, productive winger who can slot straight into Iraola’s system and keep Liverpool’s attacking output from dipping while the squad evolves.

Liverpool cannot afford to get this wrong. They are not just replacing goals; they are replacing a structure built around Salah’s presence and reliability. Every decision on the flanks this summer will shape what Iraola’s Liverpool looks like for years.

The club have made their move in the market. The only question now is whether they can turn this aggressive positioning into a double deal that carries them cleanly into the post‑Salah era.