Liverpool's push for Yan Diomande is now running into a valuation wall. RB Leipzig have rejected a €100m (£86.7m) proposal and want closer to €120m (£104.1m), while other reporting has put the German club's stance at £112m. That has moved Liverpool's focus toward Matias Fernandez-Pardo as a fallback, with Newcastle also in the mix.
Diomande's price is doing the damage
The interest in Diomande has not gone away. He has even said, "I am an RB Leipzig player, but why not? My agents will sort that out. As for me I am more focused on the World Cup, that's the most important thing. It doesn't happen all the time, it's only every four years, so I am making the most of it and for the rest, we'll see."
That keeps the door open without making a move any easier. He has also admitted, "Paris Saint-Germain is a team I've loved since I was a child... But why not?"
His World Cup return has at least matched the transfer noise. Diomande posted a 7.1 rating in his latest outing and has 1 goal contribution in his latest five tracked matches, which is enough to keep his stock high while Leipzig keep control of the price.
Fernandez-Pardo is already the fallback
If the Diomande deal stays stuck, Liverpool have already identified Fernandez-Pardo as the alternative. The 13 goals he directly contributed to in 29 Ligue 1 appearances last season make him a credible cheaper route, not just a name to pad the shortlist.
That is where the market gets awkward for Liverpool. Lille have recent league form of LWDDW, so Fernandez-Pardo is not sitting in a collapse of a season, and Newcastle have already made contact over the same player.
Liverpool's own situation also explains the urgency. They finished 5th in the Premier League and have recent league form of DLDLW, so extra attacking depth is not a luxury item. The Diomande pursuit may still be the priority, but the fallback race now looks real enough, and Newcastle are in it.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →