Yan Diomande continues to be linked with a move to Liverpool as a possible replacement for Mohamed Salah, who made his final appearance for the Reds last weekend
10:46, 28 May 2026
Yan Diomande has a bright future
Yan Diomande has a bright future(Image: Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah's Liverpool exit has left the Reds searching for a replacement for the legendary Egyptian.
Salah played his last game for Liverpool last weekend as the club secured Champions League qualification with a 1-1 draw against Brentford. Now, the club's attention is firmly on signing a replacement for Salah, and one of the names that keeps cropping up in transfer reports is RB Leipzig wide man Yan Diomande.
Diomande joined Leipzig from Leganes last summer and enjoyed a breakout season in the Bundesliga, registering 12 goals and nine assists in 33 appearances. Aged 19, Diomande has plenty of years ahead of him at the top level – and many Liverpool fans will hope that those years are spent at Anfield.
Here are the latest rumors surrounding his future...
Transfer speculation
It was reported by The Times earlier this week that a swap deal involving Diomande and Harvey Elliott could be on the cards.
Elliott was linked with a move to Leipzig last summer but ended up joining Aston Villa on loan instead – a move that clearly did not work out.
Mohamed Salah is leaving Liverpool
Mohamed Salah is leaving Liverpool(Image: Jack Thomas, Getty Images)
Twelve months on, a player-plus-cash deal – with Liverpool paying the extra cash – for Diomande is being speculated on.
Meanwhile, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reports that Diomande and Bradley Barcola are the two main players that Liverpool is targeting to replace Mohamed Salah at Anfield.
Romano says that he expects both players to move this summer, with Barcola's future at Paris Saint-Germain uncertain after losing his place in Luis Enrique's preferred team, and Diomande in demand after a fine season with RB Leipzig.
It is claimed that PSG is also interested in Diomande, and that if Diomande were to move to the French capital, the door would then be open for Barcola to move to Anfield, although Arsenal is also reportedly interested in Barcola.
What Diomande has said
Diomande's comments about Liverpool earlier this year grabbed plenty of attention, as he said: “I want to play at Anfield, I want to play for Liverpool. I’m a big fan of Liverpool.
“I’m a big fan of Liverpool because my father’s dream is to see me play at Anfield. So that’s my dream. You know, to fulfil my father’s dream is a dream for me too.”
He later rowed back on those comments, saying: "People made it out to be my dream club. But first and foremost, it's my dad's favorite club. 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.
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“I have a lot of respect for Liverpool, but my dream club right now is Leipzig.”