Liverpool urged to sign talented 14-G/A Bundesliga forward | OneFootball

Liverpool urged to make move to sign Bundesliga forward

Liverpool’s recruitment conversations rarely happen in a vacuum, and when a former striker who knows the club inside out starts talking about a specific profile of forward, it is worth listening. Emile Heskey has made no secret of his admiration for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, a player he believes could inject a dose of unpredictability into Liverpool’s attack at a time when it has occasionally looked too easy to read.

Interest in Diomande is not new. Reports last month suggested that Liverpool hold the strongest interest among a growing queue of suitors, a list that reflects both the player’s age and his rapid rise in the Bundesliga. At 19, the Ivory Coast international already carries the kind of reputation that tends to inflate price tags, with claims from Germany that Leipzig would only consider offers in the region of €100m.

That figure alone explains why Liverpool’s decision makers are still very much in the thinking stage rather than the bidding stage, but the discussion itself is revealing. Under Arne Slot, who guided Liverpool to a Premier League title in his debut season in 2024/25, there has been a clear emphasis on structure and control. What has occasionally been missing is chaos.

Emile Heskey on Diomande’s attacking threat

Heskey did not hedge his enthusiasm when asked whether Diomande should be a priority target.

“Someone like Yan Diomande gives you that unpredictability and runs in behind and creates chances. The thing with Diomande is that you can put him up front as well.

“Defenders don’t like when players are running behind all the time, and that is what he does because he is a winger.

“These are the things that I think forwards have lost a little bit. Generally now, they don’t want to get involved in the game. They want to wait in the box, but we need those players, especially after [Luis] Diaz left.

“The defenders would have to take two steps back when playing against Diomande, which creates more room, and then other players can produce more.”

Heskey’s point is less about raw numbers and more about behaviour. Forwards who threaten space force decisions, and decisions create mistakes.

Photo: IMAGO

Yan Diomande profile fits Liverpool needs

January offered a reminder of Liverpool’s occasional attacking inertia, with a run of draws prompting criticism that the build up had become ponderous and predictable. A recent burst of goals has eased the noise, but two high scoring outings do not erase deeper questions about balance and variety.

Diomande’s appeal lies in how directly he addresses those questions. With quick feet and pace to burn, he plays on the front foot, willing to take responsibility in wide areas and commit defenders. He is comfortable on either flank and can operate centrally when required, a versatility that matters in a squad built around rotation and positional interchange.

There is end product to support the highlights. Eight goals and six assists in 21 games this season underline that he is not merely decorative. More telling is his dribbling output. He has completed 60 successful dribbles in the Bundesliga, comfortably the highest total in the league, a statistic that backs up Heskey’s eye test.

Liverpool weighing cost against upside

None of this makes the decision straightforward. A potential £87.2m investment demands certainty, or at least conviction. Liverpool have been disciplined under Slot, favouring profile and fit over headline signings.

Yet Diomande represents something Liverpool supporters instinctively respond to, the sense that something might happen every time he receives the ball. That feeling has been rarer of late.

If Liverpool decide to push the button, they would be buying potential, unpredictability and a forward who forces defences to retreat. Heskey has made his case, now it is up to Liverpool to decide whether the upside justifies the outlay.