"That, I don't know." Yan Diomande is not offering Liverpool a clear answer on where he plays next, and that is exactly why the story keeps moving. He said he is not thinking about his future after the World Cup, while Liverpool are readying an £86 million package and RB Leipzig are holding out for £112 million. Ivory Coast's 2-0 win over Curacao only added fresh attention to the winger's run of form.

The deal Liverpool are chasing

Diomande also admitted, "I've loved PSG since I was little. I think my father was a PSG supporter." That keeps Paris Saint-Germain in the picture, even if the strongest fit arguments have come from England.

Carragher's view was blunt enough. "You think of the success Liverpool have had in the past with powerful, quick, wide men. You think of [Mohamed] Salah and Sadio Mane, especially those two. He certainly looks like he's got those type of traits. That's a big thing that Liverpool lacked last season, pace in those wide areas." He also called Diomande "a real danger" at the World Cup and said Liverpool would be buying "potential" rather than a finished article.

Peter Crouch was just as direct: "If it's a dynamic, direct player that Liverpool want, I think he's perfect for Liverpool. I really do."

Diomande's output explains the interest. He has 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions, with 3 World Cup appearances and a 7.1 World Cup average rating also pointing to a player who has handled the stage well enough to keep the market noisy.

Carragher and Crouch like the same profile

The Liverpool case is not hard to see. The club scored 63 league goals last season and finished fifth, so a wide forward who can carry the ball, beat defenders and add end product is a sensible target. The problem is the price gap. Leipzig's £112 million demand leaves a long way to go from the current £86 million proposal, and Leipzig do not look under pressure to give in.

There is still a PSG angle, and Diomande's own comment keeps that alive. Even so, the strongest football argument in this chase is Liverpool's need for pace in wide areas, and Carragher's point lines up with it cleanly. Liverpool may not get him cheaply, but they are clearly chasing the sort of winger they think can change the look of the attack.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →