£130m Brazil forward deal makes sense as Yan Diomande moves away from Liverpool

Liverpool are out of the race to sign Yan Diomande.

Multiple reports over the weekend confirmed the 19-year-old’s intentions to move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer if RB Leipzig decide to do business.

The Reds have invested a lot of time and effort in the Diomande deal - cultivating relationships around the player and making an initial €100m offer for his services.

That bid was knocked back by Leipzig and now it appears that a move to the French capital is inevitable - either this summer or else in 2027.

Liverpool need to consider alternatives to Diomande

One-v-one quality out wide is a stated Liverpool transfer priority this year and it was clear that Cote d’Ivoire international Diomande was the No1 choice.

Now the Anfield club are going to have to go back and consult their list of alternative targets to the Bundesliga breakout sensation. One name that could come back in the frame is Rayan.

Before he signed for Bournemouth back in winter the 19-year-old Brazilian was linked with a move to Anfield. The former Vasco da Gama forward ended up leaving his boyhood club for the south coast of England in a deal worth around £26m.

That looks like a bargain now - with Rayan scoring five goals and providing two assists in only 15 Premier League outings.

Iraola gets the best out of Rayan

His head coach with the Cherries was a certain Andoni Iraola - who brought the best out of the powerful left-footed attacker in his rookie season at the club.

And the iPaper reported that Iraola’s appointment at Liverpool was likely to provide an opportunity to test Bournemouth’s resolve over Rayan.

However one caveat added to that initial report was that Rayan was likely to stay at the Vitality Stadium through this summer transfer window at least.

Under contract until 2031 Bournemouth are under no pressure to sell - and Rayan’s £130m release clause won’t kick in until January.

£130m Rayan clause not yet active

“Andoni Iraola’s appointment as Liverpool boss has opened the door for the Reds to make a move for Bournemouth’s Brazil international Rayan – but not until January at the earliest,” the report read.

“With Liverpool looking to shake up their attacking options in the wake of Mo Salah’s departure he was already on the club’s radar before the decision to appoint Iraola.

That is likely to be firmed up now he is in charge.

“The Brazil forward is happy to stay at Bournemouth this summer. He has a release clause that activates in January but it is a whopping £130m before it lowers in value in each subsequent transfer window. There’s an expectation that he will stay," the report concludes.

There is clearly money to spend for Richard Hughes in wide areas given the prominence of the links to Diomande. And in Rayan the club have a chance to bring in a successor to Mo Salah - with goalscoring and chance-creating abilities in abundance.

Maybe the club will decide to bring forward a bid worth a record £130m during this window and beat the rush for January once that clause kicks in.

🔴 Shop the LFC 2025/26 adidas home range

👉🏻 Michael Edwards is about to do it again, brilliant Liverpool transfer on the horizon

👉🏻 You can't make it up, Liverpool about to agree outrageous deal