Yan Diomande transfer to Liverpool decisions made as RB Leipzig play £112m hardball

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Liverpool are in hot pursuit of RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, but is the Ivory Coast World Cup star worth breaking the bank for? Liverpool FC correspondent, Ian Doyle Chief Liverpool FC Correspondent and Richard Garnett Central Audience Sport Content Editor01:00, 27 Jun 2026While 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 GorstIf 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.

But should Liverpool be all in on Diomande at this stage? 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. 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.