Mohamed Salah’s impending departure from Liverpool at the end of the 2025/26 campaign has set the club’s recruitment department in motion, with reports indicating that RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande has been identified as the primary candidate to fill the void left by the Egyptian forward.
Diomande, a 19-year-old Ivory Coast international, is according to reports Liverpool’s top priority in their upcoming summer transfer window. Securing his services from the Bundesliga club is expected to cost in the region of €85 million, with Leipzig understood to be reluctant to part with a player they consider central to their long-term plans.
The German club are reportedly working to tie Diomande down to a new contract, though they currently hold a degree of leverage — the winger is contracted at the Red Bull Arena until 2030. Despite that security, Liverpool’s interest is serious, and the Merseyside club are said to be preparing a significant transfer offensive ahead of the summer window.
Adding further complexity to any potential deal, Paris Saint-Germain have also reportedly entered the race for Diomande’s signature. The French champions, who have been aggressively assembling young talent since the departure of Kylian Mbappé, are viewed as a credible rival for Liverpool in what could become a high-profile transfer battle.
Diomande’s surge to prominence is largely attributed to his performances at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Morocco earlier this year. Although he scored just once during the tournament, his dynamic displays in wide areas were instrumental in helping Ivory Coast advance through to the knockout stages, earning him recognition as one of the standout young attackers at the competition.
The 33-year-old Salah, who joined Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, has been one of the most decorated forwards in the club’s modern history. His record at Anfield includes multiple Premier League Golden Boot awards and a pivotal role in the club’s 2019 UEFA Champions League triumph. His exit at the season’s conclusion will mark the end of a significant era on Merseyside.
With Diomande representing a potential like-for-like replacement — a direct, pacy African winger capable of operating across the front line — the strategic logic behind Liverpool’s reported interest is evident. However, given the financial demands involved and the presence of PSG as a competing suitor, the move is far from straightforward.
According to reports, Liverpool’s sporting department are also assessing contingency options should the Diomande pursuit prove unsuccessful, with West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen understood to be among the alternatives under consideration. No official statements have been made by Liverpool, RB Leipzig, or representatives of the player regarding any transfer discussions.
