Liverpool F.C. enter Diomande transfer race after Madrid’s £85m offer rejected

Liverpool F.C. Have entered the race for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande after Real Madrid’s £85m opening bid was rejected by the German club. The Reds are ready to match the fee, which would shatter the Premier League record for a teenager.

RB Leipzig turned down Real Madrid’s £85.4m bid for Diomande on Saturday. The offer included an initial £76.9m plus £8.5m in add-ons. Madrid have been busy this window under Jose Mourinho, already signing Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries and Marc Cucurella.

Liverpool have also expressed interest but capped their valuation at £85m. That figure would top the Premier League’s record for a teenager, beating Manchester United’s £58.9m deal for Leny Yoro in summer 2024. The Reds sit fifth in the Premier League with 60 points from 38 games last season, though the new campaign has not yet started.

Diomande wants to join Paris Saint-Germain, where he has already agreed a contract until 2031. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has held talks with Leipzig, but no official bid has arrived. Leipzig will only sell for an exceptional fee, leaving the door open for Liverpool or Madrid to step in.

Diomande’s rise has been meteoric. Last summer, his entire senior career amounted to six starts for Leganes in LaLiga’s relegation scrap. He scored twice in those six games, against Espanyol and Valladolid. RB Leipzig paid €20m to sign him, and he has since become a revelation in the Bundesliga.

Liverpool’s interest hinges on Diomande’s valuation. If Leipzig demand more than £85m, the Reds may walk away. The club’s transfer budget remains tight after recent spending, but a teenage winger with Diomande’s profile could fit Klopp’s system perfectly.

Diomande’s contract runs to 2031, so Leipzig have time to negotiate. Madrid may return with a higher bid, but Liverpool’s bid matches the fee. The next 48 hours will decide whether Diomande stays in Germany or heads to England.

Liverpool sit fifth in the Premier League with 60 points from 38 games last season, though the new campaign has not yet started.