Wingers are back in fashion. Barcelona's early move for Anthony Gordon has left Marcus Rashford's future even more uncertain, and it looks likely to kick off a chain reaction of moves in the market. Liverpool will have to play ball. Reports over the last week consistently indicate that wingers are the Reds' priority heading into the summer, which comes as no surprise to supporters who watched the team's attackers toil last season and saw talismanic right winger Mohamed Salah end his nine-year Anfield career.
The wheels are already in motion. Liverpool have opened talks with RB Leipzig over the signing of 19-year-old prodigy Yan Diomande. However, the Reds face competition from Paris Saint-Germain and the prospect of paying the reported €130m that Leipzig are demanding. Diomande has already demonstrated the full gamut of attributes required to succeed at a top club in his breakout season in Germany, as detailed in our deep dive on the Ivorian in April.
Nevertheless, his transfer will be difficult to pull off, and Liverpool cannot afford to stop at one. Rio Ngumoha, Federico Chiesa, and Cody Gakpo are the Reds' only recognised wingers remaining, and those numbers may dwindle further given Chiesa's openness to a move and reported interest in Gakpo from Bayern Munich. However, Liverpool will resist any offers for Ngumoha.
The Profile Under Iraola
With a new manager comes a step into the unknown, but clues from Iraola's time at Bournemouth suggest what he wants from wingers. Liverpool's wingers can expect more support than last season. Whereas Arne Slot kept full-backs deep and narrow, Alex Jimenez and Adrien Truffert provided overlapping and underlapping runs for the Cherries. Jimenez even started on the right wing against top sides, playing a role similar to Jeremie Frimpong. If Frimpong stays fit and improves his all-round game, Iraola may lean into his strengths, as with Milos Kerkez, who made the Premier League Team of the Season under Iraola.
Thus, wingers won't be left to beat their man alone as often, though Iraola values one-v-ones to break down low blocks. He rarely gives wingers 90 minutes, preferring to rotate based on energy levels. His wingers also switch flanks frequently, with Semenyo, Tavernier, Adli, and Brooks swapping sides. The unifying trait is immense off-the-ball work: pressing and tracking back are expected.
Liverpool should target at least two starting wingers and more for depth. With Hugo Ekitike out long-term, one starter must deputise centrally and provide goal threat. The other should be an out-and-out ball-carrying winger with pace and trickery to facilitate the attack, likely someone who goes around the outside on their stronger foot to create chances for Alexander Isak. Having a bespoke facilitator on the right might ease pressure at right-back, with Kerkez's suitability unquestioned.
Honourable Mentions
Michael Olise would be ideal with his world-class blend of goalscoring and creativity, but swapping Munich for Merseyside seems unlikely as Bayern have built an exciting team. Liverpool cannot compete with Real Madrid for Olise either. Mohammed Kudus would have been intriguing to replace Salah, but Tottenham's survival means they won't cut losses. Nico Williams has struggled with injuries and consistency; his €100m release clause at Athletic Club is not justified. Rayan, signed by Iraola at Bournemouth, has a £130m release clause this summer, making a move unlikely now.
The 10 Candidates
All players have been linked with Liverpool, excluding dubious or unreliable sources. They are: Diomande, Bazoumana Toure, Bradley Barcola, Antonio Nusa, Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Maghnes Akliouche, Jarrod Bowen, Yankuba Minteh, Rafael Leao, and wildcard Said El Mala of Koln. El Mala has 13 goals and four assists in 34 matches, starting only 20, having never played above the third division before this season.
Leao, at 27, is available for around £43m as he enters the final two years of his Milan contract. He has 80 goals in 293 appearances for Milan and featured as a striker this season, offering versatility to cover for Ekitike's absence.
Shooting
Goals are the currency of football, and Liverpool need a swift trip to the bureau de change. The priority is signing players who get the best out of Isak and Florian Wirtz, but having at least one proficient winger in front of goal would ease the transition. Diomande has the best conversion rate (22.8%), but that's based on one season and likely to decline in the Premier League. His xGOT (0.42 per 90) far exceeds his xG (0.26), suggesting unsustainable finishing. However, his baseline xG is still good for a facilitator.
El Mala's xG (0.52 per 90) is sustainable, with 0.6 goals per 90 and 17.4% conversion. He attempts 3.45 shots per 90, hitting the target 1.43 times. He played for a poor Koln side, making his numbers impressive. Barcola is reliable with 0.57 goals per 90, consistent across seasons and in the Champions League. Leao scores well, overperforming his xG (0.4 vs 0.44 xGOT) with a 14.4% conversion rate. Bowen's xG was low (0.17 per 90) but he still scored nine non-penalty goals. Fernandez-Pardo's non-penalty xG per 90 of 0.27 and xGOT of 0.32 show reliable finishing.
Creativity
Creating chances is another key task. Diomande leads with 0.37 xA per 90 and 0.62 big chances created per 90, far ahead of others. He also wins possession in the final third 0.98 times per 90. Minteh creates 0.55 big chances per 90 and wins possession 1.42 times per 90, excellent pressing numbers. Toure creates 0.57 big chances per 90 with strong crossing (33.6% success). Barcola creates 0.57 big chances per 90 with 1.18 possessions won in the final third. Leao creates big chances but a low proportion are expected assists, suggesting less nailed-on chances. El Mala is less creative but presses well. Nusa's high proportion of big chances leading to assists (0.23 xA per 90) is promising, but his numbers need to scale up.
Possession
What wingers do with the ball indicates their role. Diomande averages the most touches (63.9 per game) and most in the box (7.09) behind Barcola (8.69), with a 59.9% dribble success rate and 4.29 successful dribbles per match. Barcola is faster (36.72 km/h) but wins fewer duels (42.6%) and is dispossessed less often than Diomande, who is dispossessed 2.25 times per 90 due to his dribbling volume. Nusa wins fouls more often than not when losing the ball (54.5% duels won) and is a combative dribbler. Leao's dribbling is better than his 55.8% success rate suggests when on the wing. El Mala's dribbling (37% success) is hit and miss, but he gets a high proportion of touches in the box (over one in six). Minteh makes many touches in the box (6.94 per 90) but takes fewer shots, using pace to create chaos. Bowen's pace has declined but could be effective off the bench. Akliouche, at 24, has a top speed of 31.63 km/h, not elite, and doesn't stand out otherwise.
The Verdict
Bowen and Leao are experienced, reasonably priced options. Bowen is homegrown, proven in the Premier League, and has broken double figures in goals twice in three seasons, with 20+ goal contributions each campaign. Leao has a good floor but hasn't exploded, scoring eight or nine goals in three Serie A seasons. Bowen is a no-brainer sensible transfer, but Liverpool likely need two more wingers for depth.
Diomande edges Barcola as the top target for his dribbling and potential, though Barcola is a fine alternative. Assuming Liverpool won't sign both, a young creative winger like Minteh or Nusa should complement Diomande or Barcola. If El Mala is considered for added goal threat, he could be an option instead of the aging Bowen. Whatever Richard Hughes and the recruitment team decide, it will be fascinating to see which wingers Liverpool bring in this summer.
