Liverpool's £260m summer targets: Diomande, Barcola and Wharton all open to Anfield moves

Liverpool are targeting a £260m summer spending spree as new head coach Andoni Iraola looks to add attacking quality to his squad, with three high-profile players understood to be open to joining the club.

Yan Diomande — £100m

The 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger sits at the top of Liverpool’s wishlist, but negotiations have already hit a stumbling block. The Reds submitted an £86m bid that Leipzig rejected, with the German club holding out for closer to £112m — while publicly insisting Diomande is not available at any price. Reports suggest Leipzig are also planning to offer the Ivory Coast international a new contract featuring a substantial release clause.

Despite the friction at club level, Diomande himself is said to be keen on the move to Anfield, and there is reported frustration within Leipzig over the drawn-out nature of the talks. Liverpool may look to bridge the gap with a revised offer in the region of £100m.

Bradley Barcola — £100m

Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola is another target Liverpool have revived interest in this summer. The 23-year-old, currently representing France at the World Cup, is reportedly weighing up his future at PSG after three seasons that yielded two Champions League titles and three Ligue 1 titles following his 2023 move from Lyon.

Arsenal had been considered frontrunners for Barcola’s signature, but French outlet Le10Sport reports that Liverpool have re-entered the picture and that Barcola is “thrilled” at the prospect of joining the Reds and “excited” by Iraola’s project. Any deal with PSG would likely require a fee comparable to the Diomande pursuit — meaning the two wingers alone could cost the club £200m.

Adam Wharton — £60m

The third name on Liverpool’s radar is Crystal Palace and England midfielder Adam Wharton, with a reported valuation of around £60m. Wharton’s situation is less clear-cut in terms of his personal desire to move specifically to Liverpool, but he is understood to be among the profiles Iraola is monitoring as he looks to strengthen the engine room.

The potential outlay follows a summer in 2024 in which Liverpool spent £446m on new talent, bringing in Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez. Iraola is also keeping a close eye on performances at the World Cup, though the tournament’s profile risks inflating transfer fees further before any deals are concluded.