Liverpool advancing history-making signing of ‘special’ player who embarrassed Arsenal ace

Liverpool are advancing in their quest to sign Yan Diomande, and his spectacular showing in Ivory Coast’s World Cup opener suggests the Reds should seal a deal before the price rises even higher.

Diomande may only be 19, but he’s already one of world football’s most feared wingers in one-v-one situations. And after just one superb season at RB Leipzig, he looks on course to change clubs again, this time moving to Liverpool for a monster fee.

Reporting last week, transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, claimed Liverpool had put ‘important money’ on the table in their efforts to seal an agreement on personal terms with the player.

He explained: “Diomande is probably one of the most exciting and electrifying wingers on the market.

“Now, it’s difficult to find players who can be young, talented [good in] one-v-one, fast, score, deliver assists… it’s very difficult.

“He’s wanted by Liverpool and PSG. Both clubs are still in the mix. Liverpool are really pushing and really insisting to make it happen.

“For Liverpool, he’s a top, top priority. They are offering important money to the player to get it done.

“On the other side, PSG are also keen but it depends on what happens Bradley Barcola, Goncalo Ramos and Kang-in Lee. There are players that have to leave at PSG, while at Liverpool they’ve already made space with Mo Salah leaving and more players.”

As mentioned, PSG must be contended with, though David Ornstein has declared it’s the Reds who are stronger placed to agree terms with the winger.

Ornstein also noted RB Leipzig are now demanding around €130m / £112m before greenlighting a sale, and club-to-club talks with Liverpool have begun.

At £112m, Diomande would become Liverpool’s third-biggest signing in their history, behind only Florian Wirtz (£116m add-ons included) and Alexander Isak (£125m).

A deal on that scale would also make Diomande Leipzig’s record transfer, and the Bundesliga’s third most lucrative sale behind only Ousmane Dembele (Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona – €148m) and Wirtz.

And if Diomande’s showing in Ivory Coast’s World Cup opener was anything to go by, it’ll be money well spent.

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Yan Diomande embarrasses Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie

Against Ecuador, Diomande came up against a team with household names in defence. Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie and PSG’s Willian Pacho formed part of the rearguard, with Chelsea’s defensive midfielder, Moises Caicedo, providing protection in front.

Nevertheless, Diomande ripped Ecuador apart in his country’s 1-0 victory, with Arsenal’s Hincapie in particular enduring a torrid outing at the hands of Liverpool’s ideal Mohamed Salah replacement.

A report from The Athletic summed Diomande’s spectacular showing up when stating: ‘Diomande took Ecuador’s highly-rated defence to pieces, in front of 68,000 Ecuador fans and a global TV audience of hundreds of millions. What we all witnessed was something special.

‘The numbers do a pretty good job of explaining the story.

‘He completed 41 of 51 passes, with five considered “key” passes. He made one “big chance” and several smaller ones, and he was four from six when it came to “successful dribbles”.

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‘That last one seems a little ungenerous, as I am sure he beat Arsenal’s usually very dependable left-back Piero Hincapie that many times in the first half alone.

‘If there was a shock in Diomande’s performance in South Philly, it is that he swapped wings in the second half to attack Ecuador right-back Alan Franco. Hincapie’s relief was Franco’s regret. He was hooked after the hour mark, as Diomande was starting to make him look frazzled, too.

‘But, if you missed this game, the numbers cannot tell you how Diomande three times burst past Hincapie from a standing start in the first half, and twice wriggled past Ecuador’s tough tacklers, including Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, in the second half to create chances for himself and his team-mates.’