Liverpool Faces PSG's Transfer Raid for Diomande and Akliouche

Paris Saint-Germain are raiding the market again, and this time Liverpool are feeling the full force of it.

First came the news that Yan Diomande, the £100m-rated RB Leipzig winger heavily courted by the Reds, sees his future in Paris. Before that dust had even settled, reports in France suggested Maghnes Akliouche had also given the green light to a move to the Parc des Princes. Two World Cup talents, both on Liverpool’s radar, both seemingly leaning towards the French champions.

For a club that needs to reshape its forward line, that stings.

Diomande chooses Paris

The turning point arrived via RMC Sport and then The Athletic. RMC first outlined PSG’s stance: they were primed, waiting only for Diomande to signal he wanted out of Leipzig and into the French capital. That signal has now come.

David Ornstein, reporting from the World Cup, revealed that Diomande has chosen PSG as his next destination if he leaves Leipzig this summer. The 19-year-old Ivory Coast international, sources told The Athletic, believes in the project being driven by Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Luis Campos and wants to play for Luis Enrique. He views Paris as the stage to compete for major trophies every season and, in his own ambitions, to chase a future Ballon d’Or.

Liverpool had been prepared to go big. A package approaching €100m was on the table in principle, but Leipzig refused to bite, holding out for something closer to €130m and pushing to extend a contract that already runs to 2030 after his move from Leganes last summer.

Now, according to RMC, Diomande has agreed a five-year deal with PSG through Roc Nation Sport. The French club will move to the next phase: negotiations with Leipzig.

There is a twist. PSG’s hierarchy insist they will not “go crazy” on the fee. The internal line is clear – pay the right price, not any price. German reports have floated that €130m figure; PSG do not want to reach it. Somewhere between Leipzig’s resolve and Paris’ new-found restraint, a compromise will have to be found.

Liverpool, watching from a distance, know exactly what that compromise would mean.

Akliouche talks deepen the frustration

As if Diomande slipping away was not enough, Akliouche is also edging towards PSG. TEAMtalk reported that talks are already under way with Monaco over a deal for the 24-year-old attacking midfielder.

Liverpool have tracked Akliouche for a while, viewing him as another creative option to refresh an attack that must evolve beyond Mohamed Salah. Instead, it is PSG who are moving first, again, shaping the market early and boxing out rivals before the window has truly caught fire.

The pattern is clear. When PSG decide to lean in, even clubs of Liverpool’s stature feel it.

Salah, memories and the void ahead

All of this unfolds against the backdrop of Salah’s looming succession. The Egyptian may still be the face of Liverpool’s attack, but the need to plan beyond him is no longer theoretical.

Jurgen Klopp, now reflecting from the outside, recently spoke to ESPN about his relationship with Salah, lifting the lid on the tensions and the bond that grew through their years together.

“We are friends now,” Klopp said. He explained that he always wanted to be close to his players, even if decisions in the heat of competition made that difficult. Those frictions, he suggested, are now behind them. What remains, in his words, are “good memories” – the strongest thing in life, memories they now share while Salah represents his country at the World Cup.

The sentiment is warm. The reality for Liverpool is colder. Salah will need replacing, the forward line needs fresh quality and depth, and their top wide target looks set to wear PSG’s colours.

There is no sugarcoating that.

Alternatives and opportunity

Liverpool’s recruitment team cannot afford to dwell. Names are already in circulation, some familiar, some emerging.

Rayan, the Bournemouth winger currently with Brazil at the World Cup, is one of them. He started in place of the injured Raphinha in Brazil’s 3-0 win over Scotland and could keep his place against Japan in Houston, with the Barcelona man still a doubt. Brought to England by Andoni Iraola in January, Rayan has a £130m release clause that reportedly activates next January, though clubs may try to negotiate outside that rigid framework.

Then there is Said El Mala. Cologne are growing nervous. The 19-year-old winger appeared close to joining Brentford earlier this year before rejecting the move, expecting stronger interest. That interest has not yet materialised at the level the Bundesliga club anticipated.

Reports in Germany and England suggest Cologne want around £40m for El Mala to fund their own rebuild. Liverpool and Newcastle have both been linked and remain in the conversation. With 13 goals and five assists in 34 Bundesliga games last season, he represents both output and upside. For a club smart enough to sense market anxiety, Cologne’s concern could be an opening.

Felix Nmecha is another name that has slipped onto Liverpool’s radar. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder exploded into the World Cup with two outstanding early performances for Germany, only to struggle badly in a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador. His fluctuating form underlines how quickly reputations can swing in a tournament shop window. Germany face Paraguay at Gillette Stadium on Monday with Nmecha under scrutiny from more than just Liverpool; Manchester United are also watching closely.

Further up the food chain, Bruno Guimaraes is the subject of intense interest across Europe. Newcastle, conscious of that, are trying to lock him down. Arsenal have already seen a £55m bid rejected, and reports suggest the Magpies are ready to make him the highest-paid player in their history on £200,000 a week. Even so, there is an understanding that he can leave for around £60m after Newcastle missed out on Champions League qualification. Liverpool are among the clubs monitoring that situation, but they are not alone.

Barcola back in focus

One name keeps circling back into the Liverpool conversation: Bradley Barcola.

Fabrizio Romano has repeatedly highlighted the French winger as a concrete option for the Reds. Liverpool admired Barcola as early as the summer of 2025 and he remains on their shortlist for 2026. Now, with Diomande seemingly heading to Paris, that interest could accelerate.

Romano says PSG have not yet given the green light for Barcola to leave this summer, and many voices in France insist he will stay. His own information is different: the situation is open, movement is happening around the player, and there is still a real chance Barcola could leave during this window.

If PSG push Diomande through the door, the domino effect is obvious. Someone has to make way. For Liverpool, that someone could be Barcola, if they move decisively enough.

The wider market tremors

Elsewhere, the transfer carousel spins on. Tottenham are being urged by former defender Alan Hutton to go hard for Cody Gakpo, a player who has already shown his quality and versatility at the highest level. Hutton believes Gakpo would solve a long-standing issue in Spurs’ wide areas, offering goals, creativity and the ability to operate through the middle when required.

His point is telling. Clubs across Europe are scrambling for wide forwards who can score, create and adapt. Liverpool are not alone in that hunt, but they are one of the few who must do it while transitioning away from a generational figure like Salah.

And hovering over all of it is PSG’s move for Diomande. Sky Sports News reports that the winger prefers a switch to Paris, with a five-year contract allegedly already agreed in principle. PSG and Leipzig still need to find common ground on the fee, and that gap is Liverpool’s last sliver of hope.

Could they blow PSG out of the water with a huge bid? In theory, yes. In practice, Liverpool have rarely operated as a club that wins auctions by simply paying more than everyone else.

So the question is stark. Do Liverpool tear up their usual playbook to chase one dazzling, Diomande-shaped solution? Or do they accept the reality of PSG’s pull, pivot to the likes of Barcola, Rayan, El Mala and others, and trust that a broader, smarter rebuild can keep them in the fight for the biggest prizes?

The window has only just opened. The first blows have landed. How Liverpool respond will say plenty about what they intend to be in the next era.