Liverpool's Forward Line Overhaul: Diomande and Trincao Targets

Liverpool are edging towards a major reshaping of their forward line, and the wings are where the real surgery is about to happen.

With Mohamed Salah set to walk away on a free despite having a year left on his deal, Anfield is braced for the end of an era. He may not be the only wide man to go. The club is staring at the prospect of a full-scale reboot out wide – and the names being lined up underline how serious that overhaul could be.

Diomande the headline act, but not the only one

Yan Diomande remains the marquee target. The 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger is the player Liverpool want to build their new attack around, and they are pushing hard.

Leipzig, sensing the market, have hiked the price. The Athletic report the Bundesliga club now want in excess of €130m (£112m) for the Ivorian, a staggering fee for a teenager but one that has not driven Liverpool away. David Ornstein has already detailed that Liverpool are in club-to-club talks and are in a stronger position than PSG when it comes to agreeing personal terms.

There is even a scenario on the table that underlines how far Liverpool are prepared to go. TEAMtalk report that Cody Gakpo has been floated as a potential makeweight to bring Leipzig’s demands down. That would be a dramatic twist in the Dutchman’s Anfield story, and it fits with the wider picture: Liverpool are ready to be ruthless to remodel their attack.

Gakpo is not being pushed out the door, but Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Liverpool will listen to “important proposals” for him. If a huge bid lands, the club will not ignore it. Tottenham have been linked in some eye-catching claims about a record-breaking move, though those figures feel ambitious at best.

Chiesa pressure, Trincao opportunity

On the opposite flank, uncertainty is just as intense. Federico Chiesa has gone public with his stance: he needs to leave to progress his career unless new head coach Andoni Iraola can guarantee him a bigger role. That is a bold message and a clear warning. If those assurances do not arrive, Liverpool face losing another winger.

All of that explains why Diomande alone will not be enough. Up to three wide players could depart. Liverpool need numbers as well as star power.

That is where Francisco Trincao enters the frame.

The 26-year-old Sporting CP winger has rebuilt his reputation in Portugal after an underwhelming Premier League loan with Wolves in 2021/22. Back then he was still on Barcelona’s books, a talented but inconsistent prospect who never quite settled. The return home changed everything.

Since first joining Sporting on loan and then signing permanently in 2023, Trincao has grown into a key figure. Last season he delivered 13 goals and 18 assists in all competitions, a total of 31 goal contributions that finally matched the promise that once took him to Camp Nou. He was named in the Primeira Liga team of the season for the second year running, a marker of consistency as much as quality.

Portuguese outlet Record now report that Liverpool are the “closest” club to signing Trincao this summer. The route is straightforward: activate his €60m (£52m) release clause. Record go further, stating Liverpool sit “top of the list” of likely suitors, and that interest has not cooled despite the managerial change on Merseyside. Iraola’s arrival has done nothing to alter the club’s view of the player.

For Liverpool, Trincao would not just be a squad filler. A left-footed winger who can operate across the front line, he offers creativity, set-piece threat and the kind of end product that eases the burden on any new superstar signing. In a summer where Salah’s goals and assists are walking out the door for nothing, 31 direct contributions from one player suddenly look very attractive.

A new look for Liverpool’s flanks

The picture is clear. Liverpool are bracing for departures, and they are moving aggressively to ensure the next generation is ready to run the touchlines at Anfield.

Diomande as the explosive, big-money statement. Trincao as the polished, in-his-prime technician. Around them, decisions on Salah’s farewell, Chiesa’s future and Gakpo’s market value will define how radical this rebuild becomes.

Liverpool have rarely been shy when it comes to reinventing themselves under pressure. The question now is not whether they will change the face of their attack this summer.

It is how bold they are prepared to be to get both Diomande and Trincao through the door.