Let the battle commence: PSG enter race for £128m Liverpool forward target

There is one name above all others beginning to dominate Liverpool’s summer transfer campaign.

Yan Diomande.

The outgoing Premier League champions have been interested in the 19-year-old for several months now. The Ivorian burst onto the scene for RB Leipzig in the 2025/26 season - following on from his £18m move from Leganes last summer.

A scorer of 13 goals in his maiden Bundesliga campaign - as well as nine assists - Diomande is now the name on everyone’s lips at top clubs across Europe.

Liverpool's first Diomande bid fails

Sporting director Richard Hughes tested the Leipzig resolve for Diomande last week - sliding a bid worth €100m across the desk of the club’s management.

It’s been reported that the outgoing Premier League champions offered €90m + €10m in add-ons for Diomande - a bid that was swiftly knocked back by Red Bull.

There is an expectation that Liverpool will come in once again for Diomande - who is under contract in Germany until 2030.

The latest indications are that it will take a Bundesliga-record bid reaching €148m (£128m) to convince Leipzig to do business this summer.

The club still have plans to keep hold of their star player and even offer him a new contract.

PSG in talks with Diomande

A report in BILD claims Diomande is making around £33k per week - and it’s not an exaggeration to say his next deal at Leipzig or elsewhere could be worth five times that.

Liverpool according to the same report are now facing a new threat in the race to sign Diomande. Because European champions Paris Saint-Germain are now hurtling into the race to sign him.

Although the Parisians haven’t paid a nine-figure sum for any transfer since Neymar and Kylian Mbappe the club have been reported to be in talks with Diomande’s entourage over coming on board.

“To even consider letting the Ivorian leave despite his contract running until 2030, the transfer fee would have to be well over €120 million,” the report in BILD reads.

“Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain are also seriously considering signing the Ivorian. Talks have been ongoing for weeks between PSG and Diomande's agency, Roc Nation.

“Therefore, it is considered highly likely that the French club will also submit an offer to Leipzig. This could trigger a bidding war for the attacking star.”

Diomande bidding war, LFC could look elsewhere

That will be music to the ears of club execs in Leipzig - who are looking forward to a bumper payday for Diomande no matter what happens.

This will be a frustration for Liverpool - who have lost out on plenty of reported transfer targets to PSG in recent seasons.

It’s no secret the Reds were interested in Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for example while Liverpool were also sniffing around Joao Neves when he was at Benfica.

It would be painful to lose another top target to PSG in the shape of Diomande - but there are alternatives out there including Karim Adeyemi, Francisco Trincao and Bradley Barcola.

🔴 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