Top journalist David Ornstein has revealed that Liverpool have submitted a ‘improved’ proposal to RB Leipzig for the signing of Yan Diomande.
The Reds are under new management after they announced Andoni Iraola as their head coach last week with Arne Slot sacked at the end of May.
Slot’s position had been unclear coming up to the end of the season but the Liverpool ownership acted at the end of last month to remove the Dutchman, who won the Premier League title in his first season.
Mohamed Salah’s imminent departure and Cody Gakpo’s poor form, means Liverpool are looking to sign one or two wingers in the summer transfer market.
Widespread reports recently emerged that RB Leipzig winger Diomande had emerged as their top target despite interest from Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool officially announced the signing of Victor Munoz from Osasuna on Thursday – but our transfer insider Graeme Bailey insists that will not stop the Reds’ plans to sign a specialist right-winger this summer.
Bailey also confirmed that RB Leipzig’s Diomande remains the club’s leading target for that position despite the Bundesliga club’s huge asking price.
Want more breaking news and transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Googleto your favourites list for news you can trust.
Liverpool ‘in the driving seat’ ahead of PSG
And now Ornstein of The Athletic has revealed that Liverpool have ‘intensified’ their efforts to sign Diomande on Thursday by ‘expressing a willingness to put forward a package approaching €100million for the Ivory Coast forward’.
It is understood to be ‘an improvement on an earlier proposal’ from Liverpool and Ornstein insists that the Reds are now ‘in the driving seat’ ahead of Paris Saint-Germain for the 19-year-old.
Ornstein added: ‘The French champions are also said by sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, to be behind Liverpool at present in relation to the personal terms on offer to the 19-year-old.
‘Liverpool, therefore, currently find themselves firmly in the driving seat, although they continue to study more options in case a deal is not doable.’
PSG have been the Reds’ main rivals for Diomande so far and the Ivorian revealed recently that the French side is a team that he has “loved” since he was young.
Diomande said in an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe ahead of the World Cup: “Paris Saint-Germain is a team I’ve loved since I was a child. My father supports Paris Saint-Germain, and it’s a team I admire as a football fan.
“It would be a pleasure for me to come and play here with one of the biggest clubs. It’s always a pleasure to come here because, with French being spoken, I think adapting wouldn’t be difficult. But why not?.
“I don’t think I’m looking ahead to the future or focusing on anything else. As I’ve said, I remain focused on the World Cup.
“After that, the clubs will sort things out between themselves and we’ll see what happens next.”