Liverpool tracking Yan Diomande as Mohamed Salah successor search intensifies

Liverpool’s interest in RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande is long-standing, and talk around the Ivorian has only grown since Mohamed Salah confirmed he will leave Anfield at the end of the season.

Speaking on The Athletic FC podcast, David Ornstein explained that the 19-year-old has been on Liverpool’s radar for quite some time.

“When you look around who they might be, they like Yan Diomande at RB Leipzig,” Ornstein said, highlighting the forward as one of the names firmly under consideration. “That’s a player that they have been keen on for some time. When I’ve looked into previously, the finances have been out of reach, or deemed out of reach, and they are not the only club in that regard.”

Ornstein added that “the process really ramps up now,” suggesting Liverpool are set to step up their work behind the scenes, even if things were not particularly advanced before. Back in January, Leipzig are said to have demanded around €100m for Diomande, a remarkable figure for a player they only bought for €20m a few months earlier.

The expectation is that the asking price will drop in the summer, opening the door for multiple suitors and giving Liverpool a more realistic chance of landing a replacement for Salah.