LIVERPOOL. Emile Heskey believes Yan Diomande would be the ideal signing for Liverpool this summer, as the club continue negotiations with RB Leipzig over a potential British record deal for the Ivory Coast teenager.
The former Liverpool striker, who scored 60 goals for the club between 2000 and 2004, likened the 19 year old’s style to that of former wingers Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, suggesting Diomande could bring a new dimension to Arne Slot’s forward line .
Liverpool have made clear they are open to a proposal worth up to £86 million for the RB Leipzig winger, who is currently on international duty with the Ivory Coast at the World Cup. However, the Bundesliga club are holding out for closer to £112 million, with Paris Saint Germain also monitoring the situation.
“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 has emerged as one of Europe’s most coveted talents after a remarkable debut season in Germany, scoring 12 goals for Leipzig and earning the Bundesliga’s rookie of the year award . His performances at the World Cup have only heightened interest, with the teenager earning man of the match honours in Ivory Coast’s opening victory over Ecuador .
Speaking ahead of his country’s second Group E clash against Germany, Diomande sidestepped questions over his future but expressed admiration for potential Liverpool team mate Florian Wirtz.
“It’s a dream,” Diomande said of representing his country at the World Cup. “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.”
On his development in Germany, he added: “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.”
Liverpool’s interest in Diomande comes as Slot looks to reshape his squad, with the club having already spent heavily in the previous window. The teenager’s ability to operate on either flank and his direct, attacking style have drawn comparisons with Mane, and his work rate without the ball has also been highlighted by Bundesliga observers .
“From the way he plays you get the sense that this is a guy who wants to prove that he does belong at the top level,” noted one analyst .
Reporting by Azuka; Editing by Betandsured team
