Liverpool face £100m-plus bill for Bouaddi as Diomande urged to snub PSG for Anfield

Liverpool’s pursuit of Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi could require a record-breaking outlay, with Lille president Olivier Letang pointing to recent nine-figure transfers as a guide to the 18-year-old’s valuation. Separately, ex-Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole has publicly urged RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande to reject reported interest from PSG in favour of a move to Anfield.

Bouaddi has emerged as one of the standout players at the World Cup, starring for Morocco and attracting reported interest from Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United. Asked to put a figure on the teenager, Letang stopped short of naming a price but drew a pointed comparison. “How much have players like Anderson or Tonali been sold for, who are much older — 23 and 26 respectively — but without room for improvement, so you have an idea of the value of Ayyoub, who has a unique profile at only 18 years old,” he told Eurosport.

Elliot Anderson joined Manchester City for £116m this summer, while Sandro Tonali moved to Tottenham Hotspur for £100m — figures that suggest Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola would need to break the £100m barrier for the first time in his career to land Bouaddi. Letang was unambiguous about the level of demand for the midfielder: “Many clubs are interested in him, but very few can afford him right now. He’s already one of the best midfielders in the world and still has significant room for improvement.”

On the Diomande front, Cole offered a clear steer to the Ivory Coast international, who has been linked with PSG should he leave Leipzig. “There’s a lot of top-level wingers in world football right now, but Diomande is as good as I’ve seen; he’s so explosive,” Cole said. “My advice to him as a young player is, don’t bother going to PSG. Go to Liverpool.”

Iraola has so far made only one addition this summer, signing Spain international Victor Munoz from Osasuna, but Liverpool have been linked with targets across defence, midfield and attack. The Bouaddi valuation underlines the scale of investment that may be required if the club are to compete for the most coveted young talent in European football.