Liverpool are negotiating for a second signing in the summer transfer window, with Germany’s World Cup match against Ivory Coast potentially playing a key role.
Florian Wirtz faces Yann Diomande at the World Cup on Saturday (Image: Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
Richard Hughes is busy at the moment, but Liverpool’s sporting director will be sure to take time out of his schedule to watch Germany take on Ivory Coast in the World Cup on Saturday night.
Hughes has already swooped in to sign Osasuna winger Víctor Muñoz from within sight of rival groups for €40m (£34.6m) and is now working on signing Liverpool’s top transfer target Yann Diomande.
Liverpool want the RB Leipzig star to replace Mohamed Salah and are unfazed by the German club’s reluctance to sell. He has reportedly already seen Leipzig reject a €100m (£86.7m) offer, although Leipzig only signed the 19-year-old from Leganes for just £17.3m last summer.
Diomande made 36 appearances in his debut season with Leipzig, scoring 13 goals and providing 10 assists, making him a player to watch. Paris Saint-Germain are also in contention for his signature, but Leipzig are in a better position, with Diomande still having four years left on his contract and there is talk of signing him to a new and improved contract.
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The player is reportedly worth 120 million euros (£104 million) and Leipzig are prepared to play tough games against Liverpool and PSG. “There is no need to say yes to any offer,” the club’s sporting director Marcel Schaefer said recently. “Jan doesn’t have a termination clause, which means we’re in the driver’s seat and everyone else is in the back seat.”
Diomande himself seems to have the same thoughts as the club. “My contract here runs until 2030, so I have four years left,” he said last month. “What will happen after that? I don’t know. I am a Leipzig player and I will never forget this opportunity. Apart from playing football, the club has helped me a lot off the pitch as well.”
According to German newspaper Bild, Leipzig are holding on to negotiations with Liverpool and PSG in the hope that Diomande’s performances for Ivory Coast at the World Cup could raise their asking price and attract other interest.
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Yann Diomande remains Liverpool’s top transfer target (Image: Getty Images)
Diomande won the man of the match award in his country’s 1-0 win over Ecuador on Monday and will be given an even bigger stage when Ivory Coast take on Germany in Toronto on Saturday night. Germany beat Curaçao 7-1 in their opening game to take the lead in Group E, and Liverpool will be hoping Julian Nagelsmann’s side can pull off another win.
Liverpool have already seen enough that Diomande is the right player to fill Mohamed Salah’s place at Anfield. And now that they’re determined, the young winger won’t have to tear the World Cup apart in front of a crowd of millions.
Their initial offer was reportedly for a fixed fee of €90m (£78m), plus a potential bonus of €10m (£8.6m). Leipzig were in no hurry to shake hands and with the World Cup underway, that would always be the starting position.
Yann Diomande named Man of the Match after Ivory Coast beat Ecuador (Image: Joosep Martinson – FIFA, FIFA via Getty Images)
Liverpool will therefore be rooting for Florian Wirtz even more than usual on Saturday night. The Reds spent £116.5m on the German attacking midfielder last summer but are yet to see much return on their investment.
The former Bayer Leverkusen star was brilliant in the opening game against Curacao, without being on the scoresheet. Liverpool will be able to see him dominate the game against Ivory Coast and steal the spotlight from Diomande at the other end.
According to Bild, Leipzig already has sufficient leverage in the negotiations, which have reached an “extensive” stage. There are many elements involved in a complex game of chess involving all involved. Hughes will take this opportunity to give Diomand a quiet night.
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