Football fans have rarely seen a better front line than the legendary Liverpool trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.
The threesome won it all while blending a mix of pace, power, tenacity, skill and a goal-scoring edge which marked them down as one of the most iconic attacks of all-time.
Since Mane’s departure in 2022, Liverpool have struggled to find a consistent answer to who should make up their attack, and though they have been successful in the years since, this season has marked out that change is badly needed.
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Salah’s imminent exit will mean that Arne Slot can finally start from scratch this summer, and with Alexander Isak already in place, the Liverpool head coach is reportedly targeting two more players who, along with Isak, can form a new regular front line for the Reds.
Diomande, Isak, Barcola can be Liverpool’s new front three
As Salah departs, it seems fairly certain that Liverpool will sign at least one winger this summer.
Given the nature of Hugo Ekitike’s long-term injury, and Slot’s alarming lack of options, there is a strong argument that they need two.
So far, it has been widely reported that RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande is the front-runner to be bought. At £85m, the Ivorian won’t come cheap, but he has all the hallmarks of being exactly what Liverpool have been missing.
Fast, strong, direct and relatively prolific in front of goal, Diomande would immediately add some oomph to Slot’s attack.
Alongside Diomande, new claims have emerged that Liverpool are likely to target Bradley Barcola as another option.
It is unclear whether the Frenchman would be instead of, or in addition to, Diomande, but Liverpool really should think about trying to do both.
Adding Diomande to the right and Barcola to the left of Isak would instantly make the Reds’ attack one of the most fearsome in Europe, and with an average age of just 23, and with Ekitike to come back in, there is plenty of room to grow and become the modern day version of Mane, Salah and Firmino.
Florian Wirtz can make it a fab four for Liverpool
Before Mane, Salah and Firmino really hit their straps together for Liverpool, fans had a brief glimpse into what they could have been had Philippe Coutinho stayed at the club.
The foursome played together for only a matter of months before Coutinho left for Barcelona, but it was a period which supporters will never forget.
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Coutinho’s form was arguably the best of his whole career, and Slot has the chance to replicate that with Florian Wirtz, who is potentially even better than the Brazilian.
A front four of Diomande, Isak and Barcola with Wirtz providing the bullets would be difficult to stop for any opposition, and as Liverpool wait for more from their two £100m+ signings, providing them with pace and threat out wide is surely the way to do that.
Throw Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo into the mix, and Liverpool would have more attacking depth than Slot ever had in the heyday of his regular front three.
But the key here should be in getting the same three – or four – players on the pitch at the same time consistently. Liverpool need a defined front three once again, and in Barcola, Diomande and Isak, they could be about to get a very exciting one.
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