Isak's new Gordon: Liverpool lining up "explosive" £51m Diaz replacement
The cogs are whirring away down Anfield Road, and Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes must be pretty pleased with Liverpool’s progress in the transfer market.
But they have more work still to do. In spite of signing Hugo Ekitike for £79m, Liverpool are mooted to remain in the market for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, who has informed his club that he wishes to explore a move away this summer.
And though the Sweden international has many admirers, it is the Reds who lead the race.
They couldn’t, could they? Unfortunately for those not of a Liverpool persuasion, they could. FSG have run the club expertly in recent years, managing the finances with a deft touch to be in a position for big-money moves across the summer.
And while the Premier League champions have already broken their transfer record by signing through the addition of Florian Wirtz, the £100m figure potentially stretching to a British-record £116m, they are primed to break it once more here.
However, a few outgoings may be needed.
The players who might be leaving Liverpool
With Trent Alexander-Arnold having already left Liverpool for Real Madrid, there’s a chance that Ibrahima Konate might follow. The French defender has entered the final year of his contract, and negotiations over a renewal have yielded little fruit thus far.
From an attacking standpoint, the signing of Ekitike and the potential arrival of Isak would surely see Darwin Nunez leave. The 25-year-old has fallen down the pecking order in Arne Slot’s system and is being chased by Saudi Arabian suitors.
Liverpool seem happy to let him leave, but are less inclined to accept Bayern Munich’s advances for Luis Diaz, having rejected a £58.5m offer. The Bundesliga champions are expected to return for the versatile forward, who was so important for Slot’s title-winning side.
While Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon has been touted as a possible replacement for the Colombian, he’s been priced at £100m.
And when a cheaper and exciting alternative is available, the track to head down becomes clear.
Liverpool lining up Diaz replacement
According to Fabrizio Romano, Lyon’s Malick Fofana is one of the names on FSG’s list as they consider replacements for Diaz, who may indeed have played his last competitive game for the Reds.
The 20-year-old has put his name on the map over the past 18 months in France, and is also courted by Bayern, though their curiosity will fade away in the case they do sign Diaz.
Fofana might be young, but his talent is clear. Lyon recognise this, and as such have priced him at €60m (£51m).
Why Liverpool want Malick Fofana
Hailed for his “explosive” athleticism by analyst Ben Mattinson, Fofana has established himself over the past few years, leaving his Belgian homeland in January 2024 when joining Lyon from Genk for a €22m (£19m).
That figure made an interesting comment from the off regarding Fofana’s skill set, and having now featured 62 times for the Ligue 1 side, scoring 15 goals and supplying eight assists, he’s shaping into quite the interesting winger.
While Isak would be replacing Diaz at centre-forward, the 28-year-old is typically a winger, and someone like Fofana would be a more direct heir.
And given that he might end up costing around half of what has been demanded for the Prem-proven Gordon, FSG may well opt to sign the lesser-known talent, especially since the likes of Wirtz and Cody Gakpo already reside in the Liverpool ranks.
Matches (starts)
29 (16)
34 (28)
Goals
5
6
Assists
4
5
Shots (on target)*
1.1 (0.5)
1.7 (0.6)
Big chances missed
4
10
Pass completion
84%
81%
Big chances created
6
6
Key passes*
0.9
1.5
Dribbles*
0.8
1.1
Tackles*
1.1
0.9
Duels won*
2.9
4.4
Sure, Gordon rode the crest of a wave after the 2023/24 season, awarded Newcastle’s Player of the Year, having notched 22 goal involvements in the Premier League, but that year was followed by a regression in output and confidence.
His creativity and tenacious style were still clear, but Fofana is showing himself to have the making of a clinical winger beyond the goalscoring level of Gordon.
Does Gordon’s progress warrant the £100m fee? He’s a fine player, to be sure, with a Merseyside connection besides, but there’s little sense in forking out such a sum when there’s a player like Fofana waiting for his breakout move.
While Gordon has forged a slick partnership with Isak over the past few years, Fofana is considered by data-driven site FBref to be a statistically similar player to the England international, so he has the athletic, snappy style to thrive alongside the Swede.
It’s chalked down that the Belgian ranked among the top 10% of positional peers last term for non-penalty goals scored and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90.
Isak’s quality is such that he could elevate the level of any winger worth their salt, but Gordon is indeed tactically aligned with the number nine to a higher degree.
By signing Fofana as Diaz’s replacement this summer, Slot could capture that synergy and use it to Liverpool’s gain, fashioning another angle out of his burgeoning superpower.
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