Liverpool Targets RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande for Summer Rebuild
Liverpool’s post-Salah rebuild has a new leading man in its sights – and, crucially, he seems to want them just as much.
According to Liverpool reporter James William, RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande is now “prioritising” a move to Anfield, convinced by Andoni Iraola’s project as the club prepares for a pivotal summer after a flat 2025/26 campaign.
The 19-year-old is not just another name on a recruitment list. He is coming off a blistering breakout season in the Bundesliga: 12 goals and 8 assists in 33 league appearances for Leipzig, numbers that have turned him from prospect into headline act. His direct running, end-product and fearlessness have travelled well too – Diomande impressed on his World Cup debut for Ivory Coast against Ecuador, underlining his ability to handle the biggest stage.
That kind of form doesn’t stay under the radar. Paris Saint-Germain are in the chase, and their presence changes the entire dynamic of the deal. Liverpool have been reported to be “pushing” for Diomande all week, and Ivory Coast’s manager has already told reporters he’s hearing the winger is heading to Merseyside this summer. Now comes the suggestion from William that the player himself has placed Liverpool at the top of his list.
“Understand Liverpool have made progress in the attempt to sign RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande, player is now prioritising a move to Liverpool. Convinced by the project Diomande is eager to join Iraola’s plans,” he posted on X.
For Liverpool, the timing is perfect and brutal in equal measure. Perfect, because Mohamed Salah’s departure has ripped a hole in their attack and forced a reset in the wide areas. Brutal, because the market knows it – and so do PSG.
That tension is exactly where former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor sees the story tilting away from Anfield. Speaking on talkSPORT, he painted a different outcome: Diomande to PSG, and Liverpool turning to another Paris winger, Bradley Barcola, as the consolation prize.
“When you’re that good at that age and you have so long left of your career, if you don’t get injured of course, your price tag is going to be so much higher than a 24-year-old,” Agbonlahor said. “I know he’s not proven amazingly yet but last season Diomande scored 12 goals and had nine assists in the league for Leipzig, he’s 19 years of age.
“Over the season, he has 118 successful dribbles, 50 more than anyone else and last night he made Hincapie look ordinary. He twisted him left, right and centre on the big stage.”
Those numbers explain the scramble. A teenager leading the league in successful dribbles by a margin of 50 is not just promising, he is a system-changer. That kind of one‑v‑one threat is exactly what Liverpool lost with Salah and what PSG crave as they reshape their own attack.
Agbonlahor’s prediction is blunt. “I think he goes to PSG because of the way they’re performing at the moment and PSG will let Barcola go to Liverpool because they don’t need that many wingers.”
In his eyes, Liverpool’s safety net is already clear: Barcola, valued at around £80m, stepping into Iraola’s new-look forward line if Diomande is lured to Paris. It would be a significant investment in its own right, but Agbonlahor is adamant about which of the two he sees as the more explosive option.
“Diomande would 100 per cent get straight in the team and it looks like he would score more goals than Barcola, he likes to miss a lot of chances,” he said. “Either way, Liverpool will get one of the two players but PSG will want the 19-year-old.
“It’s like Jadon Sancho, United paid 75mil for him, if he comes over and it doesn’t work, it’s a big risk.”
That is the gamble Liverpool are weighing up: pay for the ceiling of a 19-year-old who looks built for the modern game, or pivot to a slightly older, still expensive alternative if PSG flex their financial muscle.
For now, the noise around Diomande is growing louder on Merseyside, and the player’s reported preference hands Liverpool a rare advantage in a battle with Paris. The next move will show just how far the club are prepared to go to give Iraola the winger he clearly needs to launch the next version of this team.
