A closer look at Liverpool's interest in £100m-rated Yan Diomande and why Jurgen Klopp could prove crucial to the deal - one way or the other
Yan Diomande is Liverpool's top target this summer (Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Yan Diomande is Liverpool's top target this summer (Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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It was left to Jurgen Klopp, as it so often is where Liverpool are concerned, to strike at the heart of the matter.
The legendary former Reds boss might not necessarily have been addressing his former club's pursuit of RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande but Klopp, who now operates as Red Bull's global head of soccer, neatly explained why those at Anfield are so keen.
"Diomande is one of the best wingers in the world right now," Klopp said on Saturday night. "He is unstoppable in one-on-one situations. Nobody defends Diomande for 90 minutes."
Klopp might have spoken about the talents of Leipzig star Diomande in the capacity of his role as a World Cup analyst for Germany's Magenta TV, as Julian Nagelsmann's national side beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Vancouver, but the inference where Liverpool were concerned was unmistakable.
For a squad needing pace in wide areas, it makes perfect sense that the Reds are making a concerted effort to sign "one of the best in the world". But in the same breath, the now Red Bull executive neatly explained why the Bundesliga club are so determined to retain the electric 19-year-old.
Liverpool communicated their willingness to bid up to £86m for the teenager last week but Leipzig would prefer to keep hold of the former Leganes youngster and tie him to a new deal, that would likely contain a release clause.
Failing that, the German club would hold out for much closer to £112m, which would net them a remarkable £95m profit on a player they signed for £17m just 11 months ago. It's been quite the year in that sense for the Ivory Coast starlet.
"I'm very happy that my future is in Leipzig," Diomande said at the time. "There are enough examples to show that this club is the perfect place for young players to develop at a high level. The bosses want to play fast-paced, attacking football - that's ideal for my skills."
Diomande might very well find himself saying something almost identical should Liverpool get their wish this summer and it was telling to note last week, at the World Cup, that the 19-year-old stopped short of committing himself to Leipzig for another campaign.
"Would I be open to the Premier League? I don't know," Diomande said after picking up the player of the match award against Ecuador in the opening game on June 15.
"I am an RB Leipzig player, but why not? My agents will sort that out. As for me I am more focused on the World Cup, that's the most important thing. It doesn't happen all the time, it's only every four years, so I am making the most of it and for the rest, we'll see."
Diomande changed agents earlier this year, swapping out Maxidel Management, which is run by former Leeds winger Max Gradel, for Roc Nation Sports, the sporting arm of the company owned by rap megastar JAY Z, who the Reds target briefly caught up with in Philadelphia before the Ecuador game.
Roc Nation can also count Real Madrid and Brazil superstar Vinicius Junior among their high profile clients and the company have spent much of the calendar year speaking to some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Liverpool, about their intentions regarding Diomande.
Despite that, Maxidel Management has filed an ongoing legal dispute, and it's unclear at this stage what impact, if any, this would have on any £100m move this summer.
Liverpool's willingness to go as high as £86m for Diomande at least indicates some willingness behind the scenes from the player and his agents to listen to the proposals on offer from Anfield, should things progress but the prospect of Paris Saint-Germain also complicates matters.
Despite PSG also being a suitor, it's believed it is Liverpool who lead the race presently with the Ligue 1 and Champions League holders currently blessed with an embarrassment of riches in that forward department.
It's been reported that Leipzig predicted a two-year plan for Diomande before he was the subject of interest from the powerhouses of European football but an excellent debut term in Germany has expedited that process.
A hat-trick, registered in a 6-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on December 6, made him the youngest player in 60 years of Germany's top division to score three goals in the same game and his reputation has soared ever since. He finished the term with 12 goals and nine assists in the Bundesliga.
Liverpool have a good relationship with Leipzig, dating back nearly 10 years, with deals for the likes of Naby Keita, Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai and Fabio Carvalho all negotiated during that time.
The two clubs also conversed last summer about a potential transfer for Harvey Elliott but interest in Rio Ngumoha, which has emerged from publications in Germany in recent days, will be given the shortest of shrifts by Liverpool, who see him as an enormous star in waiting.
But with a £26m gap in valuations between the two clubs, supporters hopeful of Diomande swiftly joining Victor Munoz through the doors will be forced to exercise patience.
Another potential fly in the ointment is Leipzig's pursuit of a new head coach after they relieved Ole Werner of his duties last week. RBL finished third in the Bundesliga and qualified for the Champions League under the 38-year-old Werner but they are now on the lookout for their eighth permanent head coach in nine years.
"Klopp the coach killer" was how the former Reds boss was described on the pages of the influential Bild, given the Red Bull franchises have collectively worked through nine coaches in 16 months of him being in place.
Former Manchester City defender Martin Demechelis is in line to become the next hire and that adds another layer of intrigue to Liverpool's pursuit of Diomande, even if the finances involved mean the opinion of a brand new head coach is unlikely to carry too much sway in the wider Red Bull operation.
Klopp's, though, no doubt does. And if anyone is well placed to tell Diomande about the trappings of Anfield stardom, it is certainly him, even if he might wish to exercise some diplomacy in his current role with Red Bull.
That, however, will entirely be the call of Klopp, who has never towed a party line he didn't agree with.
The Liverpool-legend-turned-Red-Bull-chief could yet be integral to this blockbuster deal, one way or another.