Liverpool have identified a potential transfer replacement for Luis Diaz as Saudi Arabia’s £150m hope

Liverpool are expecting a summer full of changes.

With a new head coach already appointed and a change in the decision-making hierarchy, it promises to be an exciting future at Anfield. Still, there’s plenty to do in the coming weeks and months to prepare for Arne Slot’s first season.

The Dutchman arrives with the intention of making a smooth transition from the Jurgen Klopp era. This is easier said than done as a new world awaits Liverpool.

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Here, ECHO has the latest on their reported transfer deals, with a take on the reports and rumours.

Hope Chiesa

Liverpool are said to be plotting a move to sign Juventus striker Federico Chiesa in a cut-price deal. Reports in Italy suggest that with his contract expiring next summer, there is a chance to snap him up for a bargain fee after years of being linked.

Chiesa managed nine goals in Serie A last year, a marked improvement after an injury-hit 2022/23 campaign. With the Old Lady set to change management again this summer as Thiago Motta heads for a move, Chiesa has been touted as someone who could be offloaded.

The 26-year-old has so far made no progress towards extending his stay in Turin and will be available for free next summer if a deal is not agreed. In January it will be possible for him to negotiate a pre-contract with clubs across Europe.

The echo say: This feels unnecessarily risky and highly unlikely. Liverpool revamping their attack may make sense, especially with the uncertainty over the future of Mohamed Salah, and even Darwin Nunez or Luis Diaz, but Chiesa being the answer doesn’t fit the bill.

Chiesa has not been in top form since Euro 2020 (in 2021) and there are concerns about his injury record. There just isn’t much here that screams Slot’s name or Liverpool’s methods. The grassroots stats don’t do Chiesa much favors either, so with an asking price of £52m, it doesn’t argue that Liverpool’s think tank would pick him up.

Sure, if Diaz were to go, then Chiesa on the left is in theory a like-for-like, but in this scenario there are better options for cheaper out there.

Double Saudi deal

Speaking of Diaz. The Daily Mail writes that both the Colombian winger and Joe Gomez could trigger a move to clubs in Saudi Arabia this summer.

Liverpool have benefited from the Pro League boom over the past 12 months, despite turning down a whopping £150million move for Salah last year, but their dance with Middle Eastern clubs may not be over yet yet. Both Diaz and Gomez are said to be open to a move following Jurgen Klopp’s departure.

Gomez was said to be an option for the Pro League last year, but Liverpool decided not to let the versatile defender go, and for good reason, he made 52 appearances. As for Diaz, he is said to be a target for Paris Saint-Germain as they prepare for life after Kylian Mbappe.

ECHO say: While there may be bigger names than Gomez for Saudi Pro League sides, it would be a dilemma at Liverpool should a bid materialize.

With three years left on his contract, he would need a decent fee to part with someone as important as Gomez, who showed last season that he can operate in several different positions.

Diaz still has three years left on his contract. So Liverpool have all the control in this situation, which is good for Slot. He can gauge his new team and the feedback from those above him on how key Diaz and Gomez could be.