Liverpool Step Up Diomande Pursuit with Fresh Bid as Leipzig Demands Mount

Liverpool are girding their loins for another crack at landing RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande, having seen their opening gambit rebuffed earlier in the week.

The Merseyside club have zeroed in on securing a top-drawer winger as their primary summer mission, with Mohamed Salah's imminent departure creating a sizeable hole on the flank. Cody Gakpo's underwhelming campaign last term has only sharpened their focus, and the Ivory Coast speedster has become their marquee target.

The Reds' first approach—a €90m base with €10m in potential add-ons, totalling around €100m—was promptly shown the door by the German outfit. Leipzig's stance is unambiguous: they're not shifting the 23-year-old for that figure.

Nicolo Schira reports that Liverpool intend to lodge a fresh proposal, though Leipzig are apparently holding firm for somewhere in the €120-130m bracket. The Ivorian's representatives have already been tabled a contract running through to 2032 should he make the switch.

Yet there's a curious twist. Despite the initial rebuff, sources close to the situation suggest Liverpool are growing increasingly bullish about their chances. The Reds reckon Diomande is genuinely enticed by the prospect of becoming a linchpin in Andoni Iraola's reimagined project at Anfield.

Liverpool have invested considerable legwork on this one. The club has maintained steady dialogue with his camp over the past year and extensively monitored his development, leaving the player and his advisors in no doubt about their ambitions.

Leipzig, meanwhile, are attempting a different tack. The German side are endeavouring to convince Diomande and his agents to stay put for another season—sign fresh terms, pocket a handsome salary, and secure a release clause permitting him to depart freely in summer 2027. The carrot? Champions League football and complete freedom to choose his next destination.

But here's the rub: Diomande appears genuinely tempted by the prospect of upping sticks now rather than waiting another campaign, even with European football on offer. The player is seriously contemplating an immediate exit and appears receptive to Liverpool's overtures.