Liverpool Ahead of PSG in Diomande Chase as Ornstein Reveals Latest Transfer Position

Liverpool have edged ahead of Paris Saint-Germain in the pursuit of RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, according to David Ornstein's latest reporting from The Athletic.

New manager Andoni Iraola is set to oversee a summer rebuild at Anfield following Arne Slot's sacking after a disappointing campaign that left the club fifth in the Premier League. Bolstering the wing ranks is among the priorities, and Diomande has emerged as a key target.

Ornstein's update suggests the Merseyside outfit have now made direct contact with Leipzig and currently occupy the strongest position with the player regarding a potential agreement. PSG, despite their well-documented interest in the Ivory Coast international, are not as far advanced in negotiations as their English counterparts.

Leipzig are understood to be reluctant to part with their asset and would demand a fee exceeding €130 million (£112.4m, $151.2m) to reconsider their stance.

The development comes after Diomande's recent comments sparked concern among the Liverpool faithful. Speaking to L'Equipe ahead of the World Cup, the winger revealed his lifelong admiration for PSG: "Paris Saint-Germain is a team I've loved since I was a child. My father supports Paris Saint-Germain, and it's a team I admire as a football fan."

He continued: "It would be a pleasure for me to come and play here with one of the biggest clubs. It's always a pleasure to come here because, with French being spoken, I think adapting wouldn't be difficult."

However, Diomande appeared keen not to get ahead of himself, adding: "I don't think I'm looking ahead to the future or focusing on anything else. As I've said, I remain focused on the World Cup. After that, the clubs will sort things out between themselves and we'll see what happens next."

French journalist Santi Aouna had previously confirmed that Diomande has given the green light to both Liverpool and PSG, with several meetings already held between the Parisian outfit, Leipzig, and the player's representatives.

When quizzed on the speculation surrounding his future last month, Diomande acknowledged the motivational boost that comes with being linked to elite institutions. "Imagine people say you go to Chelsea or Real Madrid to do this job … you're going to be happy and motivated to do more," he explained. "I don't think about it too much because my focus is on the pitch, my job is playing football, that takes care of everything, but it gives me a lot of motivation to see people talking about me."