Liverpool remain keen on signing RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande following his stunning World Cup debut, talkSPORT understands.
The 19-year-old put in a man of the match display to help Ivory Coast beat Ecuador 1-0 in their Group E opener.
Diomande has established himself as one of the world’s hottest prospects following his switch from Leganes to RB Leipzig last summer.
talkSPORT reported in February how Liverpool had identified the teenager – dubbed as an immense talent – as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah.
And we also told you how the speedy forward was attracting interest from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Diomande in the rough
But the Reds are determined to be the club that manages to secure Diomande’s services.
Though Diomande, who chipped in with 13 goals and ten assists in 36 matches for Leipzig across all competitions in the recent campaign, will not come cheap.
It is understood that Leipzig are holding out for a fee well in excess of £100million.
Liverpool have made strengthening in the wide areas as a top priority following the departure of Salah.
But the club are prepared to be patient in their pursuit of targets following the appointment of new boss Andoni Iraola.
Speaking after Ivory Coast’s late winner over Ecuador, head coach Emerse Fae insisted that Diomande will only focus on his future following the conclusion of the tournament.
He said: “When we were in France, during the preparation, journalists told me he was about to sign with PSG.
“Here, they tell me he’s about to sign with Liverpool!
“I don’t know, but for now, he will focus on the World Cup, and then afterwards, he can think about the rest of his career.”
Before adding on his dazzling display: “Yan – what can I say? I can’t put it into words.
“He’s very talented, but beyond the talent, he’s very young and he’ll improve.
“He’s a kid who works hard, has a real team spirit, laughs with everyone, and he listens, listens to the technical staff whenever he’s given advice, and tries to do his best, as he’s told.
“It’s easy to work with someone like Yan, he’s so talented and has what is needed, plus he can give you the victory.”
Should Liverpool break the £100m barrier to prise Diomande away from Germany, it would be the third time they would have forked out nine figures on a player.
The Merseyside outfit did so twice in 2025 – breaking the British transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal rising to £116.5m.
They then broke their own record to land Alexander Isak from Newcastle for £125m.
Last summer saw Liverpool splash out £446m last summer – a record amount by a club in a single window.
It remains to be seen how much Iraola will be given to spend as the club look to mount a title charge following a disappointing defence of their Premier League crown in the 2025/26 campaign.
And Diomande isn’t the only World Cup star that Liverpool are targeting.
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Liverpool have held talks to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who starred in Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Brazil.
Meanwhile France’s Bradley Barcola is another player on their radar with the left winger keen to depart Paris Saint-Germain.
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