Liverpool's Pursuit of Yan Diomande: A €100m Saga

Liverpool’s pursuit of Yan Diomande has turned into a full-scale saga, and the clock is starting to irritate people around the player.

The club remain convinced they will get their man. Inside Anfield, Diomande is not just a target; he is the target – the chosen heir to Mohamed Salah on that right flank after the Egyptian’s glittering nine-year stay came to an end earlier this summer.

But RB Leipzig are making Liverpool work for it.

A €100m warning shot rejected

Liverpool’s opening offer – a package worth around €100m (£87m, $116m) – has already been turned down. Leipzig’s stance is clear: they do not want to sell, and if they are forced into it, the price will be eye-watering.

The fee, insiders suggest, could climb beyond the sum that took Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona in 2017, setting a new benchmark for the Bundesliga. Leipzig see Diomande as central to their sporting project and are prepared to push the market to its limits to keep him.

Liverpool, though, are not walking away. Far from it. A second bid is being prepared, and those close to the deal describe it as “very aggressive”. The Premier League side know they will have to go well beyond that initial €100m proposal to even get Leipzig to the table.

Frustration in Diomande’s camp

While the clubs posture and negotiate, the player’s entourage are growing restless.

Journalist Lewis Steele, speaking on his YouTube channel, outlined the mood around Diomande.

“I think there’s a little bit of frustration on the player’s side from what I’ve heard that it’s maybe taking a little bit longer than some people may have anticipated,” he said. “I’m talking about his camp.

“Maybe they thought it was going to go a bit quicker, but now they’re sort of resigned to the fact it might drag on after the World Cup, but they accept it.

“But also, you never know. Liverpool could just pull their finger out, and it’d be done in the next day or two.”

That last line captures the feeling neatly. From the player’s side, there is an acceptance that this may run deep into the summer, but also a belief that if Fenway Sports Group truly slam their foot on the accelerator, the deal could move very quickly.

Liverpool’s transfer machine is still armed

The scale of Liverpool’s intent cannot be questioned. After spending around £440m (€505m, $600m) on new players last summer, they are still ready to invest heavily again and are determined to arm new head coach Andoni Iraola with a squad capable of a reset.

Diomande is the headline act on their list, but not the only name. Liverpool are also in the market for another winger, are weighing up the possibility of a new striker, want a central midfielder, and are eyeing multiple defensive reinforcements amid concerns over both full-back positions.

Even with that broad shopping list, Diomande remains the undisputed priority. Every other move, in many ways, sits behind this one.

The quiet battle: winning the player

Publicly, the debate has centred on bids and numbers. Behind the scenes, another contest is running in parallel: winning Diomande’s full commitment.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano believes that side of the operation has been underestimated.

“I think the player side of this deal is still a bit underrated in terms of the media,” he said. “It’s always the talk about the bid, the new bid, the next bid, but I believe that Liverpool are doing excellent work on the player side in order to get the green light and to have Diomande telling Leipzig, ‘let me go to Liverpool.’

“So that’s what they’re doing, and that’s why I believe there is confidence at the club to get it done.”

Liverpool have been at this for a long time. As far back as December, club officials were in near-daily contact with the winger’s entourage, laying the groundwork for a summer move and selling the vision of Diomande as the new attacking reference point at Anfield.

Romano is convinced that push will continue alongside the new offer.

“I already told you, and I can confirm, Liverpool will be back at the table for negotiation. Liverpool are pushing on the player side, so what I can tell you behind the scenes is that Liverpool are trying their best in terms of a financial proposal to get the player on their side 100%,” he said.

Leipzig dig in, Liverpool crank it up

Leipzig, for now, are holding their line. They want to keep Diomande, reward him with a significant pay rise and a new contract, and then revisit his future next summer after another campaign of Champions League football.

“RB Leipzig keep insisting they want to continue with Diomande,” Romano explained. “They believe that keeping Diomande is a smart decision, giving him a big salary, a new contract, and then next summer he can decide whatever he wants after playing Champions League football with Leipzig.”

Liverpool intend to blow that plan apart.

“Liverpool will be very aggressive. Liverpool will bid more than €100m,” Romano added. “It’s going to be a big proposal coming from Liverpool in order to try and change the situation. Liverpool are working on the player side in terms of contract proposal, salary… they’re working hard to get this deal done for Yan Diomande.”

The strategy is clear: raise the fee to a level that forces Leipzig to think, and at the same time make Diomande’s desire to move impossible to ignore.

Alternatives waiting in the wings

Liverpool are not naïve. They know that, even with a record-breaking offer and a player pushing from his side, Leipzig could still refuse to sell.

Contingency plans are already in place. A Brighton winger features prominently among the alternatives on their shortlist, and Iraola is also understood to have strong admiration – described as “love” by Romano – for a PSG star who could be available for around £78m (€90m, $102m).

Those names are not front and centre yet. They are insurance policies. The club’s energy remains locked on Diomande.

The question now is simple: how far are Liverpool prepared to go, in both fee and persistence, to land the man they have chosen to fill Salah’s shadow?