Liverpool are considering adding a new star forward to their squad after Mohamed Salah confirmed he will leave the club on a free transfer in the summer.
The departure of the Egyptian international will leave a big hole at the top end of the pitch, and the Reds are reportedly keen on RB Leipzig’s Yann Diomande to fill the void.
It was recently reported that the Premier League side have made a maximum contract offer for the Ivorian, who is also wanted by Champions League champions Paris Saint-Germain.
However, RB Leipzig have no intention of cashing in on the teenage forward and are seeking a £100m transfer fee from teams interested in signing him, and it remains to be seen whether Liverpool are prepared to pay that much for him.
Diomande played in 33 games in the Bundesliga in the 2025-26 season, scoring 12 goals and providing eight assists, demonstrating his qualities as both a scorer and a goal creator.
Premier League star could be tempted to move to Liverpool
However, there is no guarantee he will perform similarly at Anfield, as the Reds have already experienced with Florian Wirtz that the transition from star player in the Bundesliga to star player in the Premier League is not always smooth.
Therefore, the club needs to consider bringing in talent with a proven track record in the Premier League so that they can play an active role immediately, and they already have one star player.
Former Manchester United scout Mick Brown has suggested that Tottenham Hotspur central defender Micky van de Ven could be “tempted” by the prospect of a move to Liverpool.
In an interview with Football Insider, Brown said: “We all know what he brings to the team. He’s got blistering speed and that means he can recover and get that last challenge and that’s so important.”
“That’s why there’s a lot of interest in him. There’s also talk about Liverpool and other teams and he might be tempted to move.”
According to a report from Football Insider, Liverpool are interested in signing the Dutch international as a long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk, but could also replace Ibrahima Konate in the short term.
Why Micky van de Ven is a better signing for Liverpool than Yann Diomande
Liverpool may risk signing Diomande for big money instead of Salah this summer, but signing Van de Ven from Spurs would be a much better business.
The Dutch star, who is reportedly worth £90 million, is a proven talent in the Premier League and could slot straight into Andoni Iraola’s starting XI next season.
Diomande, like Wirtz this season, may not be able to hit the ground running due to his lack of experience in England or the Premier League, and there is no guarantee that he will be able to adapt to the division.
25/26PL | van de ven | Rank vs CB |
|---|---|---|
tackle | 39 | Top 25% |
block | twenty two | Top 26% |
Number of balls collected | 122 | Top 6% |
won a duel | 119 | Top 37% |
Contribution in defense | 214 | Top 35% |
foul win | twenty two | Top 15% |
The Tottenham star’s performances in the Premier League show that he can be a very capable defender in the top flight, even though the team was on the brink of relegation to the Championship.
Described as a “monster” by Elliott Jackson, Van de Ven ranks in the top six per cent of defenders in his division for ball-recovery ability, which speaks to his mobility and defensive awareness.
The estimated £90m star, who used his speed to score a stunning goal in December’s Champions League, is always able to pick up the ball at the back, allowing his team to press higher up the pitch.
Manager Iraola wants a high-pressing team that chases opponents like he did at Bournemouth, and Van de Ven would be the perfect signing to facilitate that. That’s because his pace is a get-out-of-jail-free card for defenses when opponents press high and teams try to counterattack.
Van de Ven would therefore be the perfect signing to replace Konate, moving Van Dijk into a right-sided centre-back role and making him a proven Premier League star who would be a perfect fit for the new manager’s setup.
Diomand, on the other hand, still has many unknowns and completing a deal for more than £100m would be risky. That’s why Van de Ven at £90m would be even better business for the Reds.
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