Liverpool see Salah replacement ‘verbally agree’ to join rivals in £100m deal
Liverpool are scouring the market to find a replacement for Mohamed Salah following his departure and are among the clubs trying to prise Yan Diomande away from RB Leipzig
Liverpool have fallen behind in the race to sign RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande after he reportedly verbally agreed to join Paris Saint-Germain. Diomande has emerged as one of the brightest young stars in Europe and is attracting plenty of interest ahead of the summer transfer window opening.
The 19-year-old winger got 13 goals and contributed 10 assists in 36 games across all competitions for Leipzig this season in his debut campaign in Germany. He is under contract until June 2030 but could be on the move after just one season with the club.
As Mirror Football have reported, Leipzig are keen to hold onto Diomande after qualifying for the Champions League. They are willing to drive a hard bargain as Liverpool, PSG and Bayern Munich all compete for the Ivory Coast international.
Liverpool want to sign a right-winger to replace Mohamed Salah, who has left the club after nine productive years. Diomande has long been earmarked as a target, but it seems that PSG have taken a step ahead in the race.
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French outlet Foot Mercato reports that the Bundesliga Young Player of the Season has agreed to move to Paris, where he would bolster and already stacked attack featuring Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola.
It is further reported, however, that Diomande is also interested in Liverpool but not Bayern. The next step would be to agree a fee with Leipzig, who can command north of £100million, having signed him from Leganes for just €20m (£17m) in July.
ESPN says that Leipzig have slapped a €130m (£112m) price tag on their star player. They could also try to extend Diomande’s contract on improved terms in a bid to ward off interest, while a legal dispute between his former representatives and current ones is heading for the Court of Arbitration for Sport in a further complication.
Speaking to reporters last month, Diomande made it clear he’s not in a rush. “My contract here is until 2030, so I have four more years,” he said. “What’s going to happen afterwards? I don’t know. I am a Leipzig player.
“I will never forget this opportunity. It’s not only about playing football, but the club helped me a lot off the pitch. The media only sees me on the pitch, but the club helped me a lot with my family and my mom. The only thing I can do for them is to give everything on the pitch and this is what I’m trying to do every day.
“Nobody knew me before and €20m is a lot. It was a big risk for them and I thank them for that. And like I said today, we are in a good way and it’s not over. We need to keep going, keep working hard.”
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