Diomande Shines for Ivory Coast Amid Liverpool Links
Emerse Fae walked into the mixed zone with three points in his pocket and a problem he can’t control. Yan Diomande is no longer just his winger; he’s a transfer story.
The Ivory Coast wide man had just turned in another sharp display in the win over Ecuador, the kind of performance that makes scouts reach for their phones. Fae was asked about it, of course – not just the game, but the noise around his player.
“When we were in France, during the preparation, journalists told me he was about to sign with PSG,” Fae said. “Here, they tell me he's about to sign with Liverpool!”
The coach shrugged off the speculation, but the interest is real enough. Diomande has just come off a standout season with RB Leipzig, his pace and direct running turning him into one of the Bundesliga’s most watchable attacking threats. A move away from Germany is firmly on the table, and Liverpool are among the clubs circling.
For now, Fae is trying to keep the spotlight pointed at the pitch.
“I don't know, but for now, he will focus on the World Cup, and then afterwards, he can think about the rest of his career,” he said.
Then came the part that really matters to any club watching: character.
“Yan – what can I say? I can't put it into words. He's very talented, but beyond the talent, he's very young and he'll improve. He's a kid who works hard, has a real team spirit, laughs with everyone, and he listens, listens to the technical staff whenever he's given advice, and tries to do his best, as he's told.”
On this evidence, the tug-of-war for his signature is only just beginning.
Rashford in limbo as United wait and watch
While Diomande’s future feels like a chase about to ignite, Marcus Rashford’s next step is stuck in neutral.
According to The Athletic, the forward remains “unclear” about what comes next after a season on loan at Barcelona. The move to La Liga was supposed to reset his trajectory; instead, it has left him without a permanent home. Barça have opted against turning the deal into a full transfer, and Rashford returns to Old Trafford with more questions than answers.
His contract contains a £40 million release clause, open to every club except Manchester City and Liverpool. It is a curious detail: a price that feels accessible for a player of his pedigree, with two of United’s fiercest rivals explicitly locked out.
Even so, the report suggests Rashford would prefer to stay at Manchester United rather than join another English club if offers from Europe fail to materialise. His future, then, sits in a holding pattern – dependent on who picks up the phone and how firmly United want to draw a line under a complicated chapter.
United’s midfield rebuild gathers pace with Ederson
One area where United are not hesitating is midfield.
The club will announce the signing of Ederson from Atalanta in due course after agreeing a deal with the Serie A side. It is a key part of a broader rebuild in the centre of the pitch, a department that has drifted from balance and authority in recent seasons.
Ederson is not arriving as a lone fix. He is one of several central midfielders on United’s list as they reshape the core of the team. Elliot Anderson had been monitored, but United have now stepped away from that pursuit, choosing other profiles and other priorities.
West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes remains under consideration, with United sensing an opportunity after the Hammers’ relegation. The hope is for a smart, value-driven deal rather than another inflated Premier League auction.
Sandro Tonali also features among the names earmarked by the club. If United move decisively, they could walk into the new season with a completely different heartbeat in the middle of the park.
Tonali at the centre of a Premier League power play
Tonali’s name, though, is not being whispered in just one boardroom.
Tottenham have now entered the race, according to Fabrizio Romano, as the north London club push what is being described as an ambitious new project. Spurs want Tonali to be part of that reset, a statement signing to anchor a new era.
The Italian midfielder has already been linked with Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal. Newcastle, his current club, missed out on European football last season and may be forced to consider sales to balance the books, but they will not roll over.
A price close to £100 million has been floated, a figure that underlines both his quality and Newcastle’s reluctance to sell. Tonali, for his part, is on a rare quiet summer after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, watching from a distance as England’s elite jostle for position.
One winger lighting up a World Cup. One academy star in limbo. One midfield rebuild in motion. One playmaker at the centre of a Premier League tug-of-war.
By the end of this window, the spine of more than one giant could look very different.
