Liverpool have been told that Yan Diomande would be the ideal signing this summer transfer window, according to former Reds striker Emile Heskey. The ex-England international believes the £100m-rated winger would give Liverpool's forward options a new dimension next season as the club continues to weigh up its next move.
Liverpool's £86m Bid and Leipzig's £112m Demand
Liverpool made clear last week they are open to a proposal worth up to £86m for the RB Leipzig winger, who is currently at the World Cup with the Ivory Coast. However, the Bundesliga club are holding out for closer to £112m, and talks remain ongoing behind the scenes. Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in Diomande.
Emile Heskey's Verdict
Heskey, who scored 60 goals for Liverpool between 2000 and 2004, likened the 19-year-old's style to that of former wingers Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. He believes Diomande would be the ideal solution this window. "He's a very, very attractive player," Heskey told Liverpool.com. "We've been missing that. We were so blessed on the wings - we had Mo Salah and Sadio Mane for many years. Then Mane left and Luis Diaz came, and Diaz not only gave you what he gave you on the wing, he went up front as well and gave you something different. Since Diaz, we haven't really had that winger who can do that, and Diomande looks like he could be it."
Diomande's World Cup Focus
Diomande is expected to be in action when Ivory Coast meet Curacao at the World Cup on Thursday evening. Speaking ahead of his country's second Group E clash, against Germany, the Ivorian sidestepped questions over his future but expressed admiration for potential Liverpool teammate Florian Wirtz. "It's a dream. Representing your country is something huge," Diomande said. "Participating in the AFCON was already an important achievement for me, but being selected for a World Cup is another level. This has been an amazing year for me. I'm grateful for everything that's happening to me and I'm just going to continue to give my best on the pitch."
Diomande on German Football
Diomande also commented on the structured nature of German football: "When you play in Germany, you quickly see that everything there is very structured. Discipline is very important, punctuality, intensity in training. I learned a lot as a result, both on and off the pitch. Germany is a very strong team; they never give up and fight until the end. Add to that their individual quality. That makes them very strong. Florian Wirtz, for example, is a very creative player who finds solutions in the final third, even in tight spaces. Players like that can change a game with a single action."
