Liverpool join the race to sign “talented” £87m teen

Liverpool will be hoping they can make a comeback in the second half of the season after a worrying start for the Premier League champions.

The Reds have been a shadow of themselves in the latter stages of 2025, and Arne Slot will be hoping he can lead his team to more consistency and silverware in 2026.

The Dutch manager has faced huge pressure after the club committed to a £450m summer spending spree, but most of the new additions have struggled to make an instant impact on the side.

Poor fitness and injuries have been the story of the season so far, with record-breaking signing Alexander Isak struggling to stay fit and new defender Giovanni Leoni suffering an ACL injury a few months ago, ruling him out until the summer.

Indeed, it is not just the new additions that have struggled.

Mohamed Salah remains one of the most talked-about players in the Premier League and, with just four league goals this season, has not been up to his usual standards.

The future of the attacking threat remains unclear, and Slot still hasn’t determined how to get the best out of his options, which has been a huge hindrance to Liverpool’s ability to kill games.

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool have joined the race to sign RB Leipzig defender Yan Diomande.

The publication claims that sources have revealed Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are all interested in securing his signature.

They will also face competition from other European giants, with Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona also credited with interest.

Despite strong interest from across the continent, it is noted that Leipzig are hoping to attract offers of €100m (£87m) and won’t be entertaining bids until their demands are met, which they believe is more likely to happen in the summer.

It is no secret that Liverpool have struggled to retain their reputation for being dangerous and clinical in front of goal this season.

This was no more evident than in their 0-0 stalemate with Arsenal earlier this week, where they failed to register a single shot on target at the Emirates – a first in 600 games.

Indeed, they were without Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah on Wednesday evening; however, the struggle to present a serious attacking threat has been a consistent issue throughout the campaign.

The Liverpool hierarchy may be reluctant to spend heavily on further reinforcements for the forward line, but that stance could change depending on the future of Salah.

The Egyptian winger hit the headlines when he went on an explosive rant last month about his lack of relationship with the manager and fears of being pushed out of the club.

While Slot has addressed the outburst and brought Salah back into the fold ahead of AFCON, the long-term future of the 33-year-old star remains unclear.

As a result, the interest in Diomande could be in preparation for the departure of the club’s most prolific player in modern history.

Diomande – once hailed as “very talented” by former Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim – boasts strengths in finishing, dribbling, long shots and passing, with the ability and experience to operate on both the left and right wing.

The teenage sensation has only just broken into first-team football but presents a youthful, long-term solution to the massive hole Luis Diaz left in the side when he moved to Bayern Munich in the summer.

His dribbling ability and capacity to create goal-scoring opportunities from the wide flanks make him an ideal successor to Diaz.

While he wouldn’t be a direct profile-to-profile replacement for Salah on the right side, he could play a transformative role that provides support and partnership for the club’s strikers.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see how Liverpool’s attacking threat could potentially evolve through their ongoing recruitment strategy and whether the club will be willing to commit further heavy investment in the forward line.

Rebekka Arnold is an experienced writer with a strong background in digital media, PR and football journalism.

Since 2021, Rebekka has written opinion pieces and match reaction content for Football Fancast, part of the Snack Media network, building on her growing presence in the football community through viral Twitter content and podcasting.

Now at Transfer Tavern, Rebekka brings her sharp eye for analysis and deep passion for the game to deliver engaging football opinion and breaking transfer news content.