Liverpool are ready to “quickly” test the water with an improved second offer for Yan Diomande after Fabrizio Romano explained exactly why the first bid fell short – while TEAMtalk sources have provided a strong warning over the new price FSG may need to fork out.
The Reds are determined to bring the 19-year-old Diomande to Anfield this summer, having long since regarded him as their dream successor to Mohamed Salah on the right side of the Liverpool attack.
Regular readers of TEAMtalk will certainly be familiar with his name as our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher reported back on December 9 how officials from FSG were in what was described to him as ‘almost daily contact’ with the RB Leipzig winger’s entourage over a summer move to Merseyside.
Now, after Liverpool’s first offer, worth an estimated €90m up front, with €10m in add-ons, was knocked back by the Bundesliga side, Fabrizio Romano has offered a detailed explanation as to why that offer failed – and now expects the Reds to quickly come back with an improved bid.
Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Liverpool want to add another top winger. Yan Diomande is one name we have to mention and Bradley Barcola is another name we have to keep mentioning.
“For Diomande, Liverpool sent an official bid today. My understanding is that it was worth €90m plus €10m in add-ons. Red Bull Leipzig rejected the proposal. They are not accepting €100m.
“It was rejected for two reasons. First, they still dream of keeping the player and are telling him to stay one more season, sign a new contract and leave in 2027 with a release clause.
“But the player is really tempted by leaving now. Sources in the industry believe €120m could be the number to make the deal happen.
“And there is another reason why Leipzig are not rushing. They believe game after game at the World Cup, Diomande’s value could increase and more clubs could enter the race.”
READ NEXT: Second Liverpool bid for Diomande to arrive ‘quickly’ as player ‘buy-in’ gives Reds significant boost
Liverpool warned of new sky-high Yan Diomande price
Romano continued: “There is Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain are still interested and more clubs could join.”
“I expect Liverpool to return to the table.
“And I also expect Red Bull Leipzig to have their own strategy to try to involve more clubs.
“So it’s going to be an interesting situation to follow.”
Whatever that second offer might be worth, TEAMtalk has learned the new metric which Leipzig are using to measure any sale by – and it’s not good news for Liverpool.
Indeed, per our reporter Graeme Bailey, Leipzig are now looking for a figure around the German transfer record for Diomande.
While reports have suggested that the Bundesliga side may be willing to do business for around €130million (£112.5m, $149m), sources with direct knowledge of the situation insist the reality could be even more challenging for Liverpool.
As a result, sources understand that Leipzig are currently standing firm and are taking the firmest of approaches over a potential sale this summer. Indeed, they believe that if Diomande is to leave this summer, it could require a fee approaching the Bundesliga transfer record.
That benchmark remains the €148million (£128m, $169m) received by Borussia Dortmund when Ousmane Dembele joined Barcelona in 2017. Any such deal would break the fee the Reds spent last summer on Florian Wirtz, while it would also potentially soar past the money spent on Alexander Isak.
Leipzig star cool on transfer speculation
Diomande, himself, has recently addressed the speculation over his future and insists his only focus remains on the World Cup.
Speaking at a press conference to preview Ivory Coast’s clash with Germany, Diomande stated: “It’s a dream. Representing your country is something huge.
“Participating in the AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) was already an important achievement for me, but being selected for a World Cup is another level.
“This has been an amazing year for me. I’m grateful for everything that’s happening to me, and I’m just going to continue to give my best on the pitch.
“When you play in Germany, you quickly see that everything there is very structured. Discipline is very important, punctuality, intensity in training.
“I learned a lot as a result, both on and off the pitch. Germany is a very strong team; they never give up and fight until the end. Add to that their individual quality.
“That makes them very strong. Florian Wirtz, for example, is a very creative player who finds solutions in the final third, even in tight spaces. Players like that can change a game with a single action.”
While much of the focus at Anfield has been on bringing in Diomande to elevate the attack, the Reds have also been presented with a dream chance to bolster their midfield.
That’s after sources confirmed Real Madrid are open to the sale of Aurlien Tchouameni this summer – and the asking price of the long-term Reds target could just make FSG sit up and take notice.
DON’T MISS: Iraola under instant pressure at Liverpool as former star reassures Spaniard over sack speculation