Yan Diomande snubs Liverpool as Reds’ transfer plans dealt devastating blow | Football | Sport

Yan Diomande has reportedly made up his mind over his next destination, with the RB Leipzig winger understood to have chosen Paris Saint-Germain ahead of Liverpool this summer. The Merseyside club have been in determined pursuit of Diomande, having already informed Leipzig earlier this month that they were prepared to table an offer worth around £86million (€100m).

That sum is unlikely to prove sufficient, however, with the Bundesliga outfit said to be holding firm for £112m (€130m). Liverpool and PSG have been the two clubs most strongly linked with Diomande throughout the summer window, and while the French champions now appear to hold the upper hand in the pursuit of the Ivorian, currently at the World Cup with his country. According to The Athletic, the 19-year-old has identified the European champions as his preferred next move should he depart Leipzig during the current transfer window.

Diomande is said to be fully bought into PSG’s long-term vision, harbouring ambitions of lifting trophies on a regular basis and wants to also win the Ballon d’Or.

That news will come as a significant blow to Liverpool, with the Reds having earmarked Diomande as their top priority out wide this summer as they seek a worthy successor to Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool have already signed Victor Munoz from Osasuna for £34.5m and the Spaniard is viewed as an option across both flanks. Diomande can also play on either side but appears to have all but rejected a move to Anfield despite previous comments about his father being a Liverpool fan.

“I want to play at Anfield, I want to play for Liverpool,” Diomande said earlier this year. “I’m a big fan of Liverpool. I’m a big fan of Liverpool because my father’s dream is to see me play at Anfield. So that’s my dream. You know, to fulfil my father’s dream is a dream for me too.”

Since then, the Ivory Coast international added: “Paris Saint-Germain is a team I’ve loved since I was little. I think my father was a PSG supporter. It’s a team I admire as a football fan. But I’m not thinking about the future.

“I’m staying focused on the World Cup and then we’ll see what happens. They’ll sort things out between clubs and we’ll see what happens next. I’m under contract with Leipzig and I love playing here.”

In a separate interview to French media, Diomande added: “Yeah, it would be a pleasure for me to come and play here with one of the biggest clubs. It’s always a pleasure to come here [to play in France] because, already the language, with French, adapting won’t be difficult, so why not? But then again, I’m an RB Leipzig player, so there you go.

“Yes [I was happy to see PSG win the UCL], because my father is a PSG supporter. So yeah, it was good for me to see them win. Yes [I would like to play with them one day], I like them a lot, I like them a lot.”