According to reports, Liverpool is interested in acquiring Assane Diao, a winger for Real Betis, who is only 18 years old.
The youngster’s impressive play for his Spanish La Liga team this season has reportedly piqued the interest of several European clubs.
Diao joined Real Betis in the summer of 2021, starting out in the club’s youth system. He quickly rose through the ranks, making his first team debut that October and scoring three goals in four games so far this season.
According to Fichajes, Liverpool are interested in signing Diao and are prepared to pay the full amount of his release clause (about £26m).Liverpool reportedly rejected a £150 million bid from Saudi side Al-Ittihad during the summer transfer window due to the uncertainty surrounding the future of Salah.
It is expected that the Saudi Pro League club would return with a better offer for the Egyptian the following year despite the fact that they were rebuffed by the PIF-owned club this transfer window.
Diao’s current contract runs through the summer of 2027, and while Los Verdiblancos will certainly do what they can to keep him, they may have trouble if interested parties agree to activate the standing release clause.
Salah scored both goals in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion at the American Express Stadium just before the international break.
Alexis Mac Allister is missing one thing about Moisés Caicedo as Liverpool uses makeshift plan
Alexis Mac Allister had such a successful season with Brighton and Hove Albion last year that Merseyside manager Jürgen Klopp noticed him. The AMEX Stadium marked a rite of passage for the Argentine international, who also helped his team win the World Cup midway through the season.
Mac Allister presented himself as an all-around technical powerhouse. He consistently showed calm under fire and was a major creative spark for the Seagulls, setting up 47 shots on goal for his teammates in the Premier League.
The South American was able to take more chances with the ball, ranking 17th in the league for progressive passes, because of the guy in the middle of the field. at the most part, Mac Allister and Moisés Caicedo formed a central midfield duo at Brighton and Hove Albion.As a ball-winning midfielder for Roberto De Zerbi, the former offered a high level of technical proficiency, control, and cuteness with the ball, while the latter earned a reputation for his hard work ethic. They were excellent together as a team.
Mac Allister was urged to exert influence on the ball, while Caicedo served as a masterful safety net who doused flames as they appeared. They were able to conceal each other’s flaws and virtues so well that the summer saw both of them making lucrative career changes.
After Klopp tried to lure Caicedo to Liverpool, the Blues signed him a few days later, and Liverpool signed Mac Allister to bolster their stale midfield. The two were supposed to join forces to bolster the team on Merseyside, but only one showed up.
Mac Allister is still adjusting to life without Caicedo despite having a promising start to his Liverpool career.So far this season, Klopp has used the World Cup winner in an unusual role: as his team’s deepest midfielder. Mac Allister has been given the responsibility of taking the place of Fabinho, the defensive midfielder for Liverpool who just left to play in Saudi Arabia.
Fans of the Reds had hoped that the Brazilian would be replaced by another player with similar skills, but this has not happened. Mac Allister has had a few problems so far this season because he is quite unique and is not used to playing as a holding midfielder.
The 24-year-old’s quality has been mostly fantastic, but he has also misplaced the ball in critical areas too often, leading to counterattacks for the opposition and goals against Liverpool. After just 610 minutes of Premier League action with his new team, Mac Allister already has four yellow cards to his record.
His current subdued anxiety is encapsulated by the fact that many of his infractions have resulted from his attempts to retrieve the ball after losing it. While playing for Brighton and Hove Albion, he was able to take chances in possession knowing that if they didn’t pay off, Caicedo would be there to clean up.
Nonetheless, Mac Allister is now expected to play the role of the safety net at Anfield, which means that if he does lose the ball, he must put out the fire that he has ignited right away. He is fifth in the league in fouls committed, behind only four other players.
In general, Klopp should give Mac Allister a pass because he is filling in temporarily as Liverpool looks far and wide for a permanent Fabinho replacement. When that player will arrive is anyone’s guess, but in the meanwhile, the Argentine will have to step up and do his best.
With each passing week, Mac Allister becomes more and more aware that he is without a destroyer. Klopp is putting together a new kind of puzzle, and it’s still in the early stages of development at the moment.
“This is not year eight — I think in October I’m here eight years — this is year one of the new team and that’s exactly how we approach everything,” he stated in October. Mac Allister has a bright future ahead of him, but in the now he must put the needs of the team ahead of his own.