Liverpool lead £87m chase for Diomande as father's Anfield dream fuels transfer talk

Liverpool are leading the race to sign RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande this summer, with the German club understood to be demanding £87 million for the 19-year-old Ivorian, who scored 13 goals and added 10 assists in 36 Bundesliga appearances last season.

The Reds are searching for a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah, and Diomande has emerged as the frontrunner for that role. Paris Saint-Germain are also credited with an interest, but Liverpool are reported to be ahead in the chase. New head coach Andoni Iraola will be relying on owners Fenway Sports Group to back him in the transfer market as he builds his squad.

Diomande’s own words have added an unusual personal dimension to the story. Speaking on a TikTok live stream in November 2025, he said: “I have one [dream], I want to play at Anfield. I want to play for Liverpool. I’m a big fan of Liverpool.” The clip spread quickly, though Diomande subsequently offered important context to German outlet Bild.

“People made it out to be my dream club, but first and foremost, it’s my dad’s favourite club,” he explained. “It was always his great wish to see me play there someday because he loves the atmosphere at Anfield. He always raved about Steven Gerrard. I was too young to see him play. We didn’t even have a TV at home for a long time.”

Diomande was careful to temper expectations about his own ambitions, adding: “I have a lot of respect for Liverpool, but my dream club right now is Leipzig.” The clarification underlines that, while the emotional pull of Anfield is real, the winger is not agitating for a move.

One intriguing subplot involves Jurgen Klopp, who now serves as head of global football at Red Bull — the parent company with ties to RB Leipzig. Asked whether Klopp had tried to nudge him toward Merseyside, Diomande indicated the former Liverpool manager has stayed strictly impartial.

Diomande can operate on either flank but has been most effective on the right, where his directness and finishing have drawn comparisons to the profile Salah has occupied at Anfield for nearly a decade. At 19, he would represent a long-term investment rather than a ready-made replacement, but his Bundesliga numbers suggest the step up to the Premier League is well within reach.