Liverpool are looking to add a star forward to their ranks in the summer transfer window after Mohamed Salah moved on from Anfield at the end of last season.
One of the players who has emerged on FSG's radar as a potential addition to Andoni Iraola's ranks on the flanks is RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande.
yan-diomande-ivory-coast
The Reds are one of several teams, alongside Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City, interested in a deal to sign the Ivorian left winger.
RB Leipzig, however, are looking for a fee in excess of £100m for the 19-year-old forward and it remains to be seen whether or not any of those clubs are prepared to meet the asking price.
Why Liverpool should exit the Yan Diomande race
The teenage whiz is an exciting young talent who could become a top forward in the future, but a fee of more than £100m would be a big risk for Liverpool to pay right now.
yan-diomande-rb-leipzig-man-city
Diomande only has one season of regular first-team football under his belt as a professional player, and is unproven outside of the Bundesliga in Germany.
The Leipzig attacker racked up 13 goals and nine assists in all competitions, a solid return, but he has never played a game in a European competition and failed to score in four games at the World Cup.
This is not to say that Diomande would be a big flop or that he would never go on to become a world-class star, but it is to say that teams are currently looking at him more for his potential than his current ability.
2026 World Cup Yan Diomande
Appearances 4
xG 0.44
Shots on target 0
Goals 0
xA 1.79
Assists 1
Successful dribbles per game 2.5
Liverpool would be spending over £100m in the hope that he could develop into an elite Premier League player, rather than spending that money on a player who would be expected to be an instant star, which is why they should exit the race.
How Liverpool can forget Diomande
FSG can look elsewhere to find a marquee addition to Iraola's attack ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, as evidenced by their interest in a star who is far superior to Diomande.
TEAMtalk reports that Liverpool are one of a group of clubs eyeing a move to sign Michael Olise from Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window.
The outlet claims that PSG, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, and the Reds are all keen on the France international, but the player's preference is to move to Spain.
Olise, who started his career at Reading before joining Crystal Palace, is keen on a move to Real Madrid and is not currently considering a return to England, which means that Liverpool have plenty of work to do if they want to convince him to move to Anfield.
Michael Olise in action for Bayern Munich
The 24-year-old is a proven world-class star who would arrive at Anfield as a marquee signing who would be expected to be an instant star, unlike Diomande, because of his form for both Bayern and France.
Olise set the record for assists in a single World Cup with seven in eight games for France, who came fourth, after recording 19 assists for Bayern in the Bundesliga last season.
25/26 Bundesliga Diomande Olise
Appearances 33 32
xG 7.14 11.46
Goals 12 15
Big chances created 17 27
xA 10.12 17.23
Assists 8 19
The England-born star scored three more goals and created 11 more goals for his teammates than the Ivorian did for Leipzig in the Bundesliga last term, suggesting that he would offer far more quality in the here and now.
That is further backed up by his return of five goals and six assists in 13 appearances in the Champions League, delivering quality against the best of the best, whilst Diomande has yet to play at that level.
Former Chelsea and France winger Florent Malouda claimed that the 24-year-old is "a real challenger for the Ballon d’Or" while club mate Harry Kane even thinks he is "the best winger in the world." and it is hard to argue with that when you consider his exceptional form for club and country over the past 12 months.
The Liverpool transfer target has proven himself at the very top level, domestically and on the international stage, and that is why he would be an almost guaranteed success at Anfield, as he has been there and done it under pressure.
Michael-Olise-France-World-Cup
Olise would also join Liverpool as a player who has already proven himself to be an elite talent in the Premier League, having scored ten goals and provided nine assists in 14 starts in the 2023/24 campaign for Palace.
Diomande, meanwhile, would not join with the same assurances because of his lack of experience in European football and in English football, which is why a deal for Olise would allow the Reds to forget about a move for the Leipzig star.
vinicius-junior-brazil Related
Liverpool launch move for Vinícius Júnior as Real Madrid star halts contract talks
The Reds have been handed a huge boost...