By OkayGoal 
Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool this summer feels less like a question of if and more like a question of when.
The Egyptian has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, and with his Anfield career seemingly entering its final chapter, the club’s recruitment team has already been busy identifying potential successors.
RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande has emerged as one name on their radar. Not everyone is convinced, though.
Former Everton and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness has publicly raised doubts over whether the 19-year-old is the right profile to fill Salah’s boots.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness suggested there is a genuine “question mark” over Bundesliga forwards making the step up to the Premier League, and that Diomande may not be the guaranteed solution Liverpool are looking for.
Why Keith Wyness is not sold on the Yan Diomande to Liverpool move
Wyness, who ran a football consultancy advising elite clubs after his time at Goodison Park, was clear that he expects Salah to leave at the end of this season. His concern is not with Diomande as a player, but with whether the jump from the Bundesliga to the Premier League is one the teenager can make without a difficult adjustment period.
He told Football Insider: “I don’t know if he’s actually the guaranteed solution for the Mo Salah issue. Diomande’s certainly one that would be in the equation. But as I say, there is this question mark about Bundesliga forwards coming in that we’ve seen already.”
It is a fair point, and one Liverpool’s recruitment staff will need to weigh up carefully before committing to a move.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah replacement search heading into a busy summer window
Mo Salah and while his output has remained remarkable throughout his time at Anfield, the club know a transition is coming. Liverpool are expected to be active in the summer transfer window regardless, with the Premier League title already slipping from their grasp this season and a squad refresh looking increasingly necessary across multiple positions.
Diomande represents the kind of long-term investment Liverpool have made before but the concern Wyness raises is real.
The Bundesliga-to-Premier League route has not always been smooth sailing for forwards, and slotting into a role where the expectations are as enormous as replacing Mohamed Salah is a tall order for any player, let alone a teenager.
Eduardo Camavinga offered as Liverpool plan potential move for Real Madrid star
Mo Salah is not the only area of the squad Liverpool are reportedly looking to address. Sources have told Football Insider that the club could target Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga in the summer window. Real Madrid are said to be open to offers above £43 million for the 23-year-old, who has started just 12 times in La Liga this season.
Adding another layer of intrigue, Real Madrid are reportedly interested in Liverpool’s own Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, which could open the door for a deal involving Camavinga. If that comes together, it would represent a significant reshaping of Liverpool’s midfield at the same time they are trying to sort out the attack.
This is shaping up to be one of the most consequential summers in Liverpool’s recent history. Replacing Salah is not just a transfer decision, it is a statement about the direction of the club. Whether Diomande is the answer remains to be seen, but the doubts being raised now suggest Liverpool may need to look beyond one name to solve a problem this big.
