Yan Diomande will have had Liverpool fans purring at the thought of him potentially lighting up Anfield next season with his performance on his World Cup debut as Ivory Coast defeated Ecuador.
There were reports from a reputable source in recent days that the Reds have ‘officially submitted a bid’ for the RB Leipzig winger, with Ben Jacobs claiming that there’s an optimism among the LFC hierarchy that they’ll see off Paris Saint-Germain in the transfer race for the 19-year-old.
There was always likely to be plenty of attention on the teenager as he took to the global stage for the first time in Philadelphia on Sunday, and he showed just what all the fuss is about with an electrifying performance which had many journalists heaping praise on him.
BBC Sport reporter Phil McNulty wrote that Diomande ‘showed exactly why’ he’s regarded as ‘one of Europe’s hottest properties’ with a standout performance in which he ‘showed power and sleight of foot’, albeit with ‘elements of rawness and wastefulness’.
Ron Walker of Sky Sports also commented on the end product being ‘often lacking’, but gave credit for the winger being ‘lively almost throughout’.
Jacob Whitehead and Jack Lang of The Athletic gushed that the 19-year-old ‘showcased the talent that has made him a Premier League transfer target’ and was ‘at the centre of everything his nation did well’.
They added that Diomande ‘made the greatest impression with some electric wing play’ and gave Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie ‘as thorough a working over as any winger has all season’.
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To perform so convincingly on his World Cup debut, against a highly-rated team which conceded just five goals in 18 matches en route to the finals, speaks volumes for the explosive talent that the Liverpool-linked winger boasts.
As seen below in figures from Sofascore, the teenager more than held his own in the physical stakes against powerful opposition and again showcased his captivating dribbling ability, whilst also being a lively creative outlet for his side.
The manner in which he had Hincapie on strings may feel especially pertinent for Andoni Iraola, who’ll be rubbing his hands together in glee at the prospect of that occurring in the Premier League next season, should the Reds fend off PSG in the race to sign the 19-year-old.
Leipzig are reportedly seeking as much as £120m for Diomande this summer, and that valuation may have crept up even more after his outstanding display in Ivory Coast’s World Cup opener.
Liverpool will need to take a substantial leap of faith if they’re to part with the transfer fee that he’d surely yield, but it’s a calculated gamble worth taking for someone who looks increasingly capable of filling the enormous void left by Mo Salah’s departure from Anfield.
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