Yan Diomande to Liverpool: Cole’s verdict as PSG move looms
Yan Diomande to Liverpool: Joe Cole doesn’t mince his words. Speaking via Paddy Power, the former Liverpool midfielder made his position on the Yan Diomande saga entirely clear. It is worth listening to, even if the teenager seems to have already made up his mind.
PSG are in deep talks with RB Leipzig. They want the 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger. The player himself has already indicated a preference for the French side. Liverpool did try. They put an £87 million bid on the table, only for the Bundesliga outfit to knock it back instantly. Leipzig want far more. That massive valuation gap has essentially handed PSG a clear run, and Diomande’s camp seems perfectly content with that.
Cole thinks it is a mistake. “There are a lot of top-level wingers in world football right now, but Diomande is as good as I’ve seen,” he said. “He’s so explosive.”
His advice to the kid? Forget Paris. “Go to Liverpool because if they want you and there’s a hole in the team to play, then they really need you. PSG don’t need anybody.” It is a brutal, sensible point. (Via Liverpool Echo)
What the numbers actually say
The data behind Diomande’s breakout season in Germany is ridiculous for a teenager. We are talking 12 goals and nine assists in 33 Bundesliga outings. At 19 years and 114 days, he became the fourth-youngest player ever to hit double figures in the competition. The eye test matches the metrics. 143 progressive runs. 173 dribbles completed at a 67.1% success rate. He constantly terrifies full-backs. He is not a luxury winger; he is a direct threat.
Liverpool saw him as the heir to Mohamed Salah. That is why they structured a package worth roughly £86 million. Victor Munoz has already arrived from Osasuna for £34.5 million, but Anfield chiefs wanted both, not one or the other.
According to reports, Diomande is sold on the project in Paris. He wants to work under Luis Enrique, believes Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Luis Campos can deliver consistent trophies, and views the club as the perfect stage to win the Ballon d’Or. Ousmane Dembélé’s recent form gives that argument serious weight.
Leipzig are dug in, though. Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff insisted a while back that the winger would not leave at any price, pointing to a long contract and Champions League football. Their sporting director said the same thing.
Read: Liverpool star wanted by Premier League rivals
Emmanuel Petit understands the player’s logic. He noted that Luis Enrique’s heavy squad rotation and the guarantee of silverware make Paris a massive draw for a kid. Fabrizio Romano confirmed the player’s stance this week, stating Diomande made his choice while away with the Ivory Coast squad. Still, Liverpool officials have been spotted in France holding last-minute talks with agents. They are refusing to walk away.
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