Liverpool will begin life under Andoni Iraola with a trip to the North East to face Newcastle United on the opening weekend of the 2026/27 Premier League season.
The Reds won the top flight title under Arne Slot just over 12 months ago – lifting the trophy for just the second time in the club’s history – but sacked the Dutchman in May after a disappointing defence of their crown.
Iraola was appointed as Slot’s successor, having left Bournemouth upon the expiry of his contract at the end of last season.
Both Mohamed Salah and Andy Roberson have departed Anfield since the end of the campaign, and it looks likely that there will be plenty more incomings and outgoings on Merseyside before the Iraola era kicks off at St. James’ Park in August.
With that in mind, it appears that Liverpool are looking for alternatives to one of their top transfer targets, and have identified a Bundesliga star as an ideal fit.
As per Fussbal Daten, via TEAMtalk, Liverpool have been monitoring FC Koln’s Said El Mala as a possible transfer target as they search for alternatives to RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande.
El Mala enjoyed a superb breakthrough campaign with Koln last term (Photo: Moritz Muller/Alamy)
The report from Germany claims that the Reds view El Mala as a player capable of making an instant impact in the Premier League.
The Merseyside outfit are one of several sides interested in Lzipeig and Ivory Coast star Diomande, but the Bundesliga outfit are reluctant to sell and will therefore demand a fee in excess of £125 million, according to the report.
Liverpool are therefore assessing other possible targets, and El Mala has emerged on their radar after a scintillating season in Cologne.
El Mala, 19, joined Koln’s academy as a youngster and has since graduated into the first team.
He has now played 36 times for the club at senior level, scoring 13 times and registering five assists, and the report suggests that his current club value him at around £43.1 million.