Ruthless Richard Hughes: Liverpool ready to abandon winger

Ruthless Richard Hughes: Liverpool ready to abandon winger Liverpool are reportedly ready to abandon a winger and try something new. Richard Hughes isn't messing around. Liverpool have gone into the summer transfer window with a clear plan: invest in their wings. The Reds struggled out wide all season long and Mohamed Salah's exit only exacerbates that problem. Now, step one of that plan is complete. Victor Munoz joined from Osasuna but he's not the main event here. Liverpool want to sign an elite talent for their flank - and top of the list is Yan Diomande. However, that's not simple. RB Leipzig really don't want to sell and have already turned down a €100m offer from Anfield. The Athletic explains that Liverpool may not react to that the way people think, either. Most expect a new, improved bid to go in quite soon but the report here suggests the club haven't actually made up their minds here. It may well be that Liverpool walk away from Diomande and decide he's too expensive. It would be a ruthless stance from sporting director Richard Hughes but not a completely ridiculous one. Another player over €100m is quite mad from a club with zero in their history when winning the title in 2025. Liverpool, then, will play this one semi-cautiously. They'll plainly pay a lot of money for Diomande but not what they consider to be over the odds. If Leipzig stick too rigidly to a price the Reds feel is unreasonable, they'll stick to their guns and move on. Bradley Barcola, Said El Mala and Yankuba Minteh all remain targets in case Diomande falls off the agenda. Yan Diomande: Situation Summary RB Leipzig Career and Performance As of 23 June 2026, Yan Diomande is a 19-year-old winger for RB Leipzig. Since making a prominent move from CD Leganés in July 2025, the electric Ivorian attacker has taken German football by storm. Operating primarily on the right flank, his explosive dribbling and clinical finishing made him a foundational centrepiece for his club. During a sensational 2025/26 breakout campaign, Diomande recorded 33 Bundesliga appearances, racking up 12 goals and eight assists. His stellar individual displays earned him the prestigious Bundesliga Young Player of the Season award and have triggered massive summer transfer interest from Liverpool. Diomande is currently in North America representing the Ivory Coast national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Handed a starting role by manager Émerse Faé, the winger earned Player of the Match honours in their opening 1–0 Group E victory over Ecuador on 14 June 2026. Despite a narrow 2–1 defeat to Germany on 20 June, he remains a key figure in their pursuit of the knockout stages.