According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are desperately trying to secure a pre-World Cup deal with a player Man City have negotiated.
The Reds have reportedly decided to appoint Andoni Iraola as their next head coach (Fabrizio Romano), with former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola now set to replace Arne Slott at Anfield.
The Spaniard has been strongly linked with the vacant seat since Slott’s departure, and it is believed that discussions have taken a major step forward in recent days.
Iraola’s form at Bournemouth was widely praised across the Premier League, particularly after leading the club to a historic sixth-place finish and European qualification before leaving earlier this summer.
Liverpool’s financial situation is close to being resolved, but the club’s transfer plans continue behind the scenes.
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Spaniards are big fans.
One player who is attracting attention for the Reds is RB Leipzig winger Yann Diomande. After a brilliant spell in Germany, he has emerged as one of the most exciting young attackers in European football.
Liverpool set pre-World Cup deadline for signing Yann Diomande
The latest information from Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg suggests that Liverpool are accelerating their efforts to secure the signing.
According to Plettenberg’s latest update, Liverpool are doing everything they can to complete a deal for Diomande before the World Cup starts at the end of this month.
The same reporter also reported that the 19-year-old is yet to commit to a move to Liverpool and PSG, despite receiving strong interest from both clubs.
Meanwhile, RB Leipzig are hoping to keep the player for at least another season and are continuing to persuade him to stay.
The urgency on Liverpool’s part is perhaps the most important aspect of the report.
It is thought that the Reds want to clarify the situation before the World Cup begins, rather than taking it into the tournament.
Liverpool view Diomande as one of their main attacking targets and are pushing hard behind the scenes to get ahead of their rivals.
However, competition remains fierce.
Another update from Plettenberg at the end of May revealed that both City and PSG had already held talks regarding Diomande’s situation.
At this stage, Liverpool were also seeking an early agreement, but no club was able to make a breakthrough. The report revealed that City’s interest was concrete rather than speculative, highlighting how competitive the race has become.
That interest is understandable given Diomand’s impressive rise over the last year.
The Ivory Coast international has had a breakthrough season with RB Leipzig, establishing himself as one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting young forwards.
The timing of the situation seems important for Liverpool, especially after losing club legend Mohamed Salah.
With Iraola’s expected arrival and preparations for the new season already starting, the club will want to advance one of their biggest attacking targets before things could become even more complicated at the World Cup.
It remains to be seen whether they can beat City and PSG to the signing of Diomande, but they seem to be the club making the most aggressive push at the moment.
But what is clear is that Liverpool are desperate to get over the line and get a deal in place by June 11th.
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