Liverpool has a big decision to make in its pursuit of Yan Diomande this summer, and the Reds will have to think back to Philippe Coutinho's time at Anfield as it weighs up its next move
04:00, 28 Jun 2026
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - FEBRUARY 5: Philippe Coutinho of Vasco da Gama reacts after missing a goal during the match between Vasco and Chapecoense as part of Brasileirao 2026 at Sao Januario Stadium on February 5, 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Wagner Meier/Getty Images)
Philippe Coutinho's best years came at Liverpool before he was sold for big money to Barcelona(Image: Getty Images)
We may well be getting to the point where a transfer chase becomes a saga, with Liverpool’s pursuit of Yan Diomande feeling as though it is reaching a pivotal moment.
The Reds have of course made their intentions clear, having told RB Leipzig it would be willing to spend around $115 million (€100M) on the 19-year-old, who is catching plenty more attention with his performances at this summer’s World Cup.
That amount is not going to be enough though, with Leipzig reportedly wanting around $148M (€130M), while also holding out hope that he could yet stay put and sign a new contract.
There is much for Liverpool to consider now. Does it launch an improved second bid and hope that Leipzig balks on its asking price? Does it wait and see whether Diomande can pressure his current club into letting him go? Or should it simply give in to Leipzig’s demands?
You can make very convincing arguments for the Reds to either stick or twist. Based on what we’re seeing at the World Cup right now, and with Mohamed Salah’s huge shoes to fill, Diomande looks as though he could be worth every penny.
On the other hand, Liverpool has plenty of other areas that need some work during this window, and with the jury still out on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak after last year’s huge spending spree, going big on a single signing again feels like a bit of a risk - especially for a player with just one year in the Bundesliga under his belt.
Yan Diomande
Liverpool has a big decision to make on Yan Diomande(Image: Michael Miller/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Those aren’t the only things Liverpool has to consider though. For one thing, even though he’s 19 and could, potentially, offer the Reds over a decade of service, he could just as likely leave at the peak of his powers.
While Diomande has dropped some hints about wanting to play for Liverpool, he also hasn’t been too shy about flirting with Paris Saint-Germain.
"Paris Saint-Germain is a team I’ve loved since I was a child,” he said earlier this month. “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 at Paris with one of the biggest clubs... It’s always a pleasure to come here also because with French being spoken, I think adapting wouldn’t be difficult. But why not?”
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If Liverpool did manage to sign Diomande this summer then, there’s every chance PSG could come calling further down the line, and it seems the winger would be keen. The club then must also weigh up whether it feels it could still make a tidy profit on Diomande in a few years, even if it does have to break the bank to sign him now.
In a world where Elliot Anderson is set to become Manchester City’s most expensive signing at $153 million (£116M), there’s no reason why Liverpool shouldn’t be able to make money on Diomande in the future, following Philippe Coutinho’s lead.
Granted, the Brazilian arrived in very different circumstances to the ones surrounding Diomande at the moment. Coutinho hadn’t quite lived up to expectations after moving to Inter Milan as a teenager, and Liverpool was able to snap him up for just $11.2M (£8.5M) as a 21-year-old.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leicester City at Anfield on December 30, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool made a huge profit on Philippe Coutinho, having molded him as a young player
Like Diomande though, Coutinho still had the best years of his career way ahead of him, and the Reds were able to mold him into a world class star demanding $193M (£146M) when he eventually made the move to Barcelona - a switch that looked to be on the cards for a while, with Coutinho, like so many South American players, having his heart set on one of Spain’s big clubs.
Diomande might have his sights set on a different location, but PSG is a much bigger attraction now than even just eight years ago when Coutinho moved on from Anfield. Clearly a very ambitious youngster, he can look at the former Red and know that the path to another dream club could still be on, even if he makes the move to Merseyside.
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It’s up to Liverpool to decide whether what could be relatively short-term benefits are worth the huge asking price. Based on what we’ve seen so far, they might well be.