Seven AFCON Talents Worth a Premier League Gamble: Liverpool's Lookman and Diomande Options

The 2026 Africa Cup of Nations has served up a feast of entertaining football, and come Sunday's final between Morocco and Senegal, the continent's elite will have put on quite the show. The Atlas Lions' penalty shootout victory over Nigeria set up their showpiece with Senegal, who dismantled Mohamed Salah's Egypt 2-0 in their semi-final to secure their place.

While household names like Salah and Victor Osimhen have delivered the expected fireworks, the tournament has unearthed several less familiar faces capable of making waves in English football. Here are seven performers who've done their case no harm whatsoever for a Premier League switch.

Ademola Lookman – The Nigeria forward with unfinished business

Lookman's name has long circulated among top clubs, but this AFCON campaign could finally be the catalyst for his overdue Premier League return. The Atalanta man has been nothing short of prolific, sitting third in the scoring charts behind only Salah, Osimhen and Brahim Diaz, whilst leading the assist charts with four contributions. That tally of seven goal involvements – with a final still to come – saw him record a WhoScored rating of 8.08, comfortably ahead of Salah's 7.73 before Nigeria's penalty loss to Morocco in the third-place decider.

At 28, his previous Premier League stints at Fulham and Leicester hardly set the world alight, and there's the small matter of that dreadful Panenka attempt at the London Stadium to live down. He didn't feature in Wednesday's shootout loss to Morocco, presumably adopting a Ronaldo-esque approach as fifth penalty taker.

Liverpool have been mooted as potential suitors, and Lookman would make a fine understudy to Salah, offering immediate impact if Arne Slot decides to bolster his attacking options. Whether Anfield would have him after his 2021/22 winner against them remains another matter entirely.

Yan Diomande – The Leipzig talent on the rise

Diomande's stock has only climbed higher following his assured displays for Ivory Coast. The Leipzig winger, still just 19, remains a work in progress but possesses the raw materials to succeed at the Premier League's summit. His season for the Bundesliga side has been eye-catching – notably a hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt and a purple patch yielding three goals and three assists across three league games.

The teenager was missed for just one game during his AFCON absence (a home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen) and returned to action off the bench in a 2-0 win over Freiburg on Wednesday. With nine caps to his name, he's already made an impression at international level, finding the net in the round-of-16 demolition of Burkina Faso.

Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all been credited with interest, though his relative inexperience means adaptation time would likely be necessary. Destiny surely awaits at the game's highest level.

Ibrahim Maza – The Leverkusen prospect gathering momentum

Maza's move to Bayer Leverkusen from Hertha Berlin last summer has proven inspired, and the German-born Algeria international has carried that club form seamlessly into AFCON. At 20, the 20-year-old is already turning heads – so much so that Barcelona have reportedly taken notice.

Back in November 2024, Newcastle United led the pursuit for his signature, with Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, West Ham and Brentford all monitoring the situation. The Magpies would have represented a smart move, but he's hardly regretted his Leverkusen choice. Despite Algeria's quarter-final exit to Nigeria, his performances warrant Premier League attention, and Newcastle in particular shouldn't have looked away.

Abde Ezzalzouli – Morocco's attacking spark

Ezzalzouli remains something of a blind spot for English clubs, yet his instrumental role in Morocco's final berth demands reassessment. The 24-year-old had been delivering the goods at Real Betis prior to this tournament – six goals and five assists across 18 appearances – and whilst his AFCON contribution sits at one assist from six outings (four starts), he's impressed sufficiently to earn a starting berth in Sunday's showpiece.

West Ham would suit his profile rather snugly, though that observation probably speaks volumes about the club's recruitment philosophy.

Krepin Diatta – The Monaco Swiss Army knife

Diatta's future appears headed towards Turkey, with Besiktas, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce all circling. The AS Monaco operator plays right-back for Senegal whilst operating naturally as an attacker – a versatility that could translate to wing-back duties in the Premier League. Leeds United or Crystal Palace might provide suitable homes, though his summer contract expiration makes now the logical window for a bargain acquisition.

Azzedine Ounahi – Girona's midfield maestro

Ounahi has been Girona's standout performer during a testing 2025/26 campaign, and another impressive international tournament could finally extract him from Spanish football. The 25-year-old has form in this department – his World Cup semi-final heroics with Morocco in 2022 earned him a January 2023 switch to Marseille, where he subsequently made waves.

Physically, he remains on the slighter side, but his technical quality and game-changing moments remain undeniable assets. West Ham, perhaps, should be placing a call.

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