Liverpool have opened talks to sign £48m “young Sadio Mane”.

Liverpool have lost their way this season, but not as bad as those dark days under Brendan Rodgers, right?

There are parallels between Arne Slot’s second season and that post-apocalyptic 2014/15 campaign, Liverpool devastated after a painful title miss.

Luis Suarez inspired that, and Mohamed Salah’s stunning and powerful effort last year led the Reds to their first title since Jurgen Klopp brought the curtain down on his tenure at Anfield.

The difference, of course, is that Slot led his side all the way, lifting the Premier League and establishing himself as one of the best coaches in the world.

However, as ever, a lot has gone wrong this season, and now, Liverpool need to spend big for the second summer in a row.

Liverpool are embarking on an official search for a new player

On the right, Liverpool need to replace Salah, and that won’t be easy. The Egyptian was a shell of himself, and RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande has been identified as the man to replace him, albeit at an estimated £85m, with one foot on the big stage.

Liverpool need more than just a right-sided striker, however, with Cody Gakpo flattering to deceive all season and Rio Ngumoha, 17, not yet trusted with minutes to match the best at Anfield.

According to Fussball Daten, Liverpool are interested in signing Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim this summer, as they appear to have opened negotiations after registering ‘legitimate interest’.

The Ivory Coast international, aged just 20, is valued at €55m (£48m), and there is little to suggest that he does not have the potential to match or surpass Diomande as the Bundesliga’s brightest talent.

Who knows, with such speed and increasing output down the left wing, he could become the new version of Luis Diaz’s Slot at Liverpool.

Why Bazoumana Toure could be Liverpool’s next Diaz

Liverpool have a high level of attack, but Florian Wirtz is still adapting to the Premier League, Alexander Isak is yet to maintain a vein of clinical form, and Hugo Ekitike is out for a long time against torturing his Achilles against PSG.

If Slot hopes to prove the doubters wrong and bounce back (unlike Rodgers), then his frontline needs more energy, and Toure can provide that quality to the Reds, praised as “one of the most exciting young players in European football” by journalist Bence Bocsak.

The rising star’s speed and power down the left channel have forced Liverpool to register their interest, and with Arsenal and Bayern Munich both hot on his trail, something needs to be done quickly.

Liverpool sold Diaz to Bayern for £65.5m last summer, and while there were good reasons for that decision, FSG have failed to fill the Colombian left-back, and Toure would be a good addition to challenge Gakpo and Ngumoha.

In 29 Bundesliga games this season, he has scored five goals and provided nine assists. Physically, Toure ticks many boxes, winning five duels per game.

This unique skill set has even seen the youngster described as a “young Sadio Mane” by the aforementioned Bocsak, so you can see why Liverpool have such an interest in him.

Whether Toure fulfills his potential and hits a Diaz/Mane-esque high on Merseyside remains to be seen, but he is a quality player who could develop into one of the Premier League’s breakout stars.

On several occasions this season, the Ivory Coast midfielder has shown incredible potential, and with such creativity, sharp movement and duelling, he could be just the right choice for a Liverpool squad that needs a variety of additions this summer.