Liverpool and Man City locked in £112m battle to sign RB Leipzig winger Diomande

Liverpool and Manchester City are the two realistic destinations for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, with journalist Gianluca Di Marzio stating the £112m-rated 19-year-old will move to the Premier League this summer — and that only the size of the offer will decide which club lands him.

Di Marzio told Wettfreunde that both clubs regard Diomande as a priority target. “Liverpool is very keen on getting Yan Diomande but they are facing competition from Manchester City,” he said. “He is Liverpool’s first choice as well, so at this moment it only depends on who will pay the most money for him. He will go to the Premier League and Liverpool and Manchester City are the two options.”

The journalist also acknowledged Paris Saint-Germain’s interest but played it down. “PSG actually wants him as well, so he is on their list, but with all the players they have, I don’t expect that he wants to go to PSG, so I am pretty sure he will go to Liverpool or Manchester City.”

The Athletic has reported that Liverpool have already made direct contact with Leipzig and are considered best placed to complete a deal, though the Bundesliga club have maintained that Diomande is not for sale at anything below €130m (£112m). The Ivorian is under contract at the Red Bull Arena until 2030.

The urgency at Anfield is sharpened by Mohamed Salah’s impending departure when his contract expires this summer, leaving a prominent vacancy on the right flank. Diomande has been identified internally as a candidate to fill that role.

The player himself has spoken carefully about the speculation. “It gives me a lot of motivation to see clubs speak about me,” he said last month. “I’m focused. My contract runs until 2030, so I have four more years. I don’t think about this kind of thing because I’m trying to be focused on the pitch.”