English Premier League club Liverpool are reportedly among several top European clubs monitoring the progress of RB Leipzig’s highly-rated Ivorian winger Yan Diomande.

Key Details

Player Profile: Yan Diomande is an 18-year-old Ivorian professional footballer who primarily plays as a left winger. He joined RB Leipzig in July 2025 from Spanish side CD Leganés for a reported €20 million fee.

Performance: Despite only moving to the Bundesliga this summer, Diomande has made an immediate impact, registering three goals and three assists in his first 10 league appearances, prompting interest from elite clubs. He is highly regarded for his explosive pace, technical skill, and composure.

Widespread Interest: Alongside Liverpool, clubs like Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea are also tracking the young talent.

Leipzig’s Stance: RB Leipzig have no intention of selling Diomande quickly and secured him on a long-term contract until 2030 with no release clause. The German club reportedly values the winger at around €100 million, seeing his potential as on par with top talents like Kylian Mbappé.

Transfer Rumors: Reports suggest that top clubs might make an approach next summer (2026), but any potential transfer would likely involve a substantial fee given Leipzig’s high valuation.

Currently, this is only transfer speculation and no official offer has been made by Liverpool.

Liverpool could be signing ‘one of best defenders in the world’ as £88m offer ‘prepared’

According to reports, Liverpool are preparing an £88million bid for a centre back recently dubbed “one of the best defenders in the world”

Liverpool’s spending this season could be set to rise above £500m(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool are reportedly preparing a blockbuster move for Inter Milan centre back Alessandro Bastoni as they look to bolster their defensive ranks. The Reds have been left short at the back following Giovanni Leoni’s long-term injury and their failed pursuit of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, prompting renewed interest in Bastoni to fill the gap.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Liverpool are readying an £88million bid for the 26-year-old, who has been hailed by Italy legend Giorgio Chiellini as “one of the best defenders” in world football.

“I know Alessandro well, he is one of the strongest central defenders around and for me, he is among the best in the world,” Chiellini said in 2023. “He is a player that Italy will be able to count on for many years, he just needs to continue working and maintaining the desire to improve.”

READ MORE: Liverpool step onto fascinating transfer merry-go-round as wildcard options emergesREAD MORE: Real Madrid ‘might be interested’ in Liverpool transfer for Dominik Szoboszlai

An attempt to sign Bastoni could come as early as January, though Liverpool are said to be open to waiting until the summer if necessary – a move that could prove crucial given Ibrahima Konate’s uncertain future, with his current deal expiring at the end of the season.

If the deal surpasses the £80m mark, Alessandro Bastoni would become the most expensive defender in football history. Harry Maguire currently holds that distinction after joining Manchester United from Leicester for £80m back in 2019.

Josko Gvardiol ranks second after his £77m move from RB Leipzig to Manchester City in 2023, while Virgil van Dijk’s £75m switch from Southampton to Liverpool in 2018 sits third on the list.

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Alessandro Bastoni could be on his way to Liverpool(Image: getty)

Whether he’s worth that sort of money is up for debate, but Bastoni’s quality is beyond question. A composed, left-footed defender, he combines physical strength with excellent ball-playing ability and precision passing.

Highly regarded in Serie A, Bastoni has been named in the league’s Team of the Year in three of the past five seasons. He played a key role in Inter’s title-winning campaigns in 2020/21 and 2023/24 and was instrumental in their runs to the Champions League final in both 2023 and 2025.

Liverpool are in urgent need of greater defensive stability after a shaky start to the new season. Arne Slot’s side have already conceded 17 goals in their first 11 league matches – a stark contrast to the six they had shipped at the same stage last year.



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Liverpool have looked shaky at the back this season and could use some defensive reinforcements

The Reds’ defensive frailties have been compounded by a turbulent summer in the transfer market, which saw Trent Alexander-Arnold leave and two new full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, come in.

FIFPRO, the International Federation of Professional Footballers, have slammed the treatment of footballers with the hectic and unforgiving fixture schedule players are subjected to.

The statement reads, “Footballers are treated as inexhaustible resources, not as people. Those who play too much risk their physical and mental integrity.

“Throughout this year, there has been talk of reforming the calendars to protect the health and rest of footballers. A more human, more rational football was promised. But nothing has been put into practice.

“The Club World Cup is designed to maximise income regardless of the suffering of the footballers or the spectators. There is no planning, no prevention, no respect. There is only an obsession with economic gain.

“FIFA continues to act with arrogance, without listening, without dialoguing, without consulting. Instead of opening spaces for participation to all sectors that make up the football industry, it chooses to discriminate and exclude.”