Liverpool feel they have advantage in race to sign Mo Salah's replacement Yan Diomande | OneFootball

With the looming reality of Mohamed Salah’s departure at the end of the season, Liverpool desperately need a blockbuster addition to their frontline. The Egyptian attacker has finally decided to leave the Merseyside club after an illustrious spell at the club which has seen him win all the biggest trophies at Anfield.

The name sitting at the absolute top of their wishlist is RB Leipzig’s explosive 19-year-old Ivorian sensation, Yan Diomande.

While earlier reports suggested Leipzig were aggressively trying to tie the teenager down to a new contract, a fresh update from Football Insider reveals that the Reds believe they have a massive ace up their sleeve, a a strong, established relationship with the German club.

Liverpool have done business with Leipzig in the past

When it comes to doing business with the Red Bull footballing empire, Liverpool practically have a fast-pass lane.

Over the past several years, the Anfield hierarchy has successfully negotiated massive, high-profile deals for the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konaté, and Naby Keïta.

Leipzig are notoriously stubborn negotiators, famously demanding premium fees and refusing to be bullied in the transfer market.

However, because the two clubs share a strong mutual respect and a history of clean, professional transactions without any unnecessary media circus, Liverpool are highly optimistic they can jump straight to the front of the queue and open productive dialogue immediately.

Reds are hoping to complete the deal early

The report notes that Liverpool’s primary goal is to get this deal entirely wrapped up early in the summer window.

If Liverpool drag their feet or try to lowball the German side, they risk sparking a massive European bidding war.

The last thing FSG wants is to find themselves in a financial dogfight with deep-pocketed rivals like Chelsea or Manchester City.

Furthermore, securing a marquee attacker before preseason even begins provides a massive morale boost for the squad and allows the managerial team to build their tactical blueprint around him from day one.