Liverpool are in hot pursuit of RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, but is the Ivory Coast World Cup star worth breaking the bank for?
01:00, 27 Jun 2026Updated 08:30, 27 Jun 2026
Liverpool transfer target Yan Diomande has impressed for Ivory Coast at the World Cup(Image: Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
While all eyes are on the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico at the moment, new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has already got the process of enhancing the squad he inherited from Arne Slot well underway.
A £60m deal for central defender Jeremy Jacquet had already been completed before Slot was relieved of his duties at the end of the season, but his replacement has already made a signing of his own, bringing in Victor Munoz from Osasuna for £34.5million.
The Spain international will not be the only winger arriving on Merseyside this summer, with talks for RB Leipzig teenager Yan Diomande underway.
Liverpool have expressed their willingness to pay around £86m for Diomande but Leipzig are holding out for something closer to £112m for the rising star.
With club legend Mohamed Salah bidding farewell to Anfield after nine seasons this month, the pressure is on to bring in a player who can at least try to fill the Egyptian’s boots.
Last summer, the Reds spent around £440m on new talent, twice breaking their transfer record to capture £116m Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, at £125m.
But despite the huge outlay, Liverpool finished the season trophyless and could only stumble their way to a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League, leaving more questions than answers about the club’s transfer business.
Diomande has been showcasing his obvious talents in the early stages of the World Cup, but the question is, given what unfolded last season, just how much of their transfer budget should LIverpool be committing to bringing the 19-year-old to Anfield?
Should they break the bank once more to get their man, or is there a point where they would be better to walk away and focus on other targets?
Our Liverpool FC writers have had their say…
Paul Gorst
If viewing figures of Ivory Coast games during the World Cup have had an unusual spike, it is most likely Liverpool fans tuning in to see their £100m-rated transfer target, Yan Diomande, in action.
So far, generally, he hasn’t disappointed, helping Emerse Fae’s Elephants side to two wins in three games and a first-ever place in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Diomande supplied Nicolas Pepe for the opening goal in Thursday’s 2-0 win over Ecuador and it is that sort of direct threat off the flanks Liverpool want to see at Anfield next season and beyond.
It’s easy to see why there is such excitement around the 19-year-old too. The RB Leipzig starlet is the only player this century to create 10 or more chances and complete 10 or more dribbles in the group stages at the World Cup.
His talent and style is obvious and for a club that desperately needs young, quick and direct players off the flank, it’s no surprise to see him top Liverpool’s shortlist.
The list of Plan Bs on that aforementioned list is said to contain Yankuba Minteh of Brighton, Said El Mala, who plays for Koln, and Lille wideman Matias Fernandez-Pardo. But should Liverpool be all in on Diomande at this stage? There is a reason European champions Paris Saint-Germain also want him.
Liverpool have a lot of work to do squad-wise this summer and the resources are not infinite. But that being said, any other player signed in lieu of Diomande now would feel like a massive downgrade.
Sporting director Richard Hughes must stay the course and get it done.
Ian Doyle
In isolation, a move for Yan Diomande makes complete sense if Liverpool believe he can blossom into a truly great winger given his initial signs of real promise at RB Leipzig.
But the bigger picture ensures matters are far less clearcut. The Reds splashed out £100m-plus on two players last summer in Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, both of whom are far, far more proven at the highest level than Diomande.
Neither, though, has justified their price tag, most notably Isak given his fitness and injury concerns.
Liverpool therefore surely cannot afford another expensive misfire given that, while hardly paupers, they don’t have the same financial clout as many of their main rivals both home and abroad. They have to extract the most bang from their buck, so to speak.
Diomande, then, would represent a massive gamble at £86m, let alone the price Leipzig want.
And while Liverpool require a new winger or two, they also have holes elsewhere in their squad and don’t have unlimited funds. They have to pick and choose accordingly. They didn’t sign enough players last summer and cannot afford a repeat this time around.
The Reds have been here before when they opted not to offer what at the time was a huge amount for one young teenager winger and eventually saw him join one of their rivals. His name? Cristiano Ronaldo.
By offering such an eye-watering amount for Diomande, Liverpool clearly believe the youngster is the right man for both the present and long-term future.
But they should not be going any higher than their original bid – even if there is a chance they may end up regretting it.
Richard Garnett
One of the biggest challenges facing Liverpool this summer is replacing the output and aura of Mohamed Salah. It’s a lot to ask for, as players like Salah only come along every so often, but it is only natural that supporters will look for some sort of big signing to fill that void.
If Victor Munoz is considered the overdue Luis Diaz replacement, then Yan Diomande appears to be the man, or boy, identified as Salah’s successor-in-waiting. Certainly, anyone who has watched the 19-year-old in action at the World Cup these past few weeks can’t have failed to have been impressed by his physicality, obvious talent and invaluable versatility. But at what cost?
An opening deal of £86m wasn’t enough to shift the mindset of RB Leipzig, who will be all too aware that Liverpool will surely be returning to the table with an increased offer. How high FSG are prepared to push Diomande’s capture, however, is another issue entirely.
That Liverpool have been able to bid huge money at all for Diomande surely comes down to the removal of Salah from the wage bill, but I couldn’t imagine that they would be prepared to go much higher for a 19-year-old who has had one season in the Bundesliga.
Isak and Wirtz came with considerable pedigree, and even so, neither has yet proven that they are worth the money invested in them. Iraola has plenty of other positions to deal with in his team before the start of the season, so if it looks like Leipzig wants the type of money usually reserved for established world-beaters, then that is the time to walk away and look elsewhere.
