Fabrizio Romano confirms what Yan Diomande is thinking after €100m Liverpool offer rejected | OneFootball

Liverpool have been knocked back in their opening attempt to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig.

The 19-year-old winger has been on the radar for the outgoing Premier League champions for months.

Reds’ recruiters have identified the Ivorian as the dream candidate to come in and add the one-v-one quality lacking on the wings under Arne Slot last term.

Diomande - currently at the FIFA World Cup with Cote d’Ivoire - is under contract at RB Leipzig until 2030. The German Bundesliga side signed the winger from Leganes in Spain last summer for only €20m - putting them in total control over his transfer future.

Romano: Diomande price could reach €120m

An initial price tag of €100m was mooted for the young forward but right now that won’t be enough.

As revealed by Fabrizio Romano and others Richard Hughes slid an offer worth an initial €90m plus another €10m in add-ons across Red Bull’s desk for Diomande this week. And it was quickly sent back.

“Yan Diomande, an official bid was sent today by Liverpool,” Romano said on his YouTube channel.

“My understanding is that the bid was worth €90 million plus €10m in add‑ons, so this is the package.

“RB Leipzig have rejected the proposal. RB Leipzig are not accepting €100m for Yan Diomande – this is the position of the club.”

Given the duration of Diomande’s contract and the ongoing clamour for his signature no doubt Red Bull will be content to play the waiting game. Ideally they will give their star turn a pay bump and encourage him to stay for at least one more season.

Diomande tempted by move after Liverpool offer

“First of all, they still dream of keeping Yan Diomande,” Romano said.

“They are trying to tell Diomande, they are trying to tell his agents: stay one more season here at RB Leipzig, sign a new contract, get a very good salary, put a release clause, and in summer 2027 you go wherever you want.

“You can pick the new club, they don’t have to reach out to us as Leipzig, they pay the clause and you decide the best project, the best contract, whatever. This is what they are saying from Leipzig.”

Nonetheless there could be one vulnerability in the strategy of the energy drinks giant. They may well be counting on the willingness of Diomande to stay one more season and play in the UEFA Champions League.

But Romano has let slip that Diomande is tempted by a move to a new club this summer - with Liverpool remaining at the front of the queue to do a deal.

“But on the other side, the player is very tempted by leaving the club now, this summer, without waiting one more season even if they have Champions League football,” the Italian transfer guru said.

“And Diomande really considering the possibility to leave immediately.”

It’s been reported that Liverpool may well have to get towards the figures paid for Florian Wirtz last summer in order to convince Leipzig to do a deal. And Romano states that the sum could well be €120m - which equates to a mammoth £104m.

Watch out for PSG in Diomande race

“Liverpool’s €100m package is not enough,” he said.

“At the moment, sources in the industry – so it’s not directly from Leipzig, but sources in the industry – believe €120m could be the price to try to get to a deal with RB Leipzig, so this could be the number, the magic number, to make things happen around Yan Diomande.”

Red Bull will be adamant that keeping hold of him at least through the duration of the World Cup will be integral to driving his price as high as possible.

“And also one more reason why they’re not selling now is because they believe, game after game at the World Cup, the value of Yan Diomande could go up and more clubs could join the race,” Romano concludes.

“Because there is Liverpool, there is Paris Saint‑Germain still interested, and there could be more clubs joining if the player keeps going like this, and so the price could go up.

“So Leipzig have their own strategy, Red Bull group have their own strategy. So this is something we have to keep a close eye on for sure.”