Jurgen Klopp has added his voice to the growing list of Yan Diomande admirers this summer, although the former Liverpool boss' verdict might not be such good news for the Reds
04:00, 23 Jun 2026
DALLAS, TEXAS - JUNE 17: Jurgen Klopp interacts with fans after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L match between England and Croatia at Dallas Stadium on June 17, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Maja Hitij - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp has been full of praise for Yan Diomande at the World Cup(Image: Getty Images)
If you’re not caught up in the Yan Diomande hype yet, you’re firmly in the minority.
Opinions might have been split when the 19-year-old first emerged as Liverpool’s primary target this summer. After all, he’s a young winger with just a year of experience in one of Europe’s top five leagues, and he’s being touted as Mohamed Salah’s replacement - it was natural to feel some skepticism.
It’s taken just two games at the World Cup to turn the doubters into believers. Diomande looks every inch the world class star so many have tipped him to be, including a certain former Liverpool manager.
The list of admirers is growing by the day, but if Reds fans are going to take just one person’s advice, it’s always going to be Jurgen Klopp. And of course, he’s just as enamoured with the teenager as everyone else.
"Diomande is one of the best wingers in the world right now,” Klopp said while covering the World Cup for MagentaTV. “He is unstoppable in one-on-one situations. Nobody defends Diomande for 90 minutes."
Any positive words from Klopp would have been gleefully lapped up by Liverpool fans, but to describe Diomande as “unstoppable” will have supporters desperate to get a deal done as quickly as possible now.
Yan Diomande #11 of Cote d'Ivoire and Florian Wirtz #17 of Germany compete for the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match between Germany and Cote D'Ivoire at Toronto Stadium on June 20, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario.
Yan Diomande has lit up the World Cup, vindicating Liverpool's pursuit of him(Image: Megan Briggs, Getty Images)
Anyone who is going to replace Salah is going to have to be pretty special themselves, and if it’s good enough Jurgen, then it is definitely good enough for Liverpool.
The problem is, Klopp is no longer the boss at Anfield. In fact, in this case, he is a direct rival.
As head of global soccer for Red Bull, the 59-year-old’s main focus is now on coming to the best conclusion for the company’s stable of clubs, which of course includes Diomande’s current side RB Leipzig.
Already demanding the big bucks if they’re to part ways with their prized possession, the Bundesliga club will be buoyed by Klopp’s verdict, and with Liverpool seemingly trying to recapture some of the glory years under the German following the appointment of Andoni Iraola, Leipzig will feel vindicated to demand top dollar.
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And if you’re hoping for some preferential treatment from Klopp, well you can probably forget it. Everyone knows just how fiercely loyal he is to those he works with, and you can bet he would back Leipzig to squeeze every penny it can out of any potential deal for Diomande.
Of course, if the teenager were to turn around and tell his current club that he wants a move this summer, you’d hope Klopp might at least gently nudge him towards Anfield. If Paris Saint-Germain comes calling though, it’ll be mighty hard even for the former Liverpool boss to argue against joining probably the best side in the world right now.
Having said all of that, Klopp’s view of Diomande can only be seen as a good thing, and vindication for Liverpool’s pursuit. The question now is, how much do the Reds think he’s worth?