Yan Diomande: Man United vs Liverpool in race for RB Leipzig star
Yan Diomande: Man United vs Liverpool in race for RB Leipzig star Manchester United are falling behind Liverpool in the race to sign RB Leipzig sensation Yan Diomande, as the club’s priorities lie elsewhere this summer, according to two transfer experts. Fixing the Engine Room The Red Devils are prioritising a major rebuild in midfield, with Casemiro’s contract set to expire and Manuel Ugarte’s head on the chopping block. At least two signings will arrive, while a third will be added if a buyer can be found for the 25-year-old Uruguay international.
United’s budget is expected to be considerable after Michael Carrick’s men secured Champions League qualification. A host of players out on loan will be sold as well — Rasmus Hojlund has already joined Napoli permanently for £38 million — to further bolster the war chest. One well-placed source states it is a “near certainty” the total spend will surpass last summer’s £240m outlay.
However, the midfield market is an expensive one. The primary targets — Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson or Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni — will cost up to £100m, while the alternatives elsewhere in the Premier League, such as West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, will not be cheap either. A deal is understood to be advancing for Atalanta dynamo Ederson, though reports from Italy of a £46m agreement are said to be “premature”.
The Brazil international has “ verbally agreed ” to a five-year contract, however, with United executives in Bergamo to continue negotiations. The focus on fixing the team’s stalling engine room will leave little room for big-money investment elsewhere on the pitch. A new left-winger — an “Amad on the left” as one source describes — is on the agenda, with Diomande and Aston Villa and England star Morgan Rogers the two leading candidates.
But Leipzig are demanding €100m (£87m) for their 19-year-old winger, who has enjoyed a breakout season in the Bundesliga with 12 goals and seven assists in 33 games, demonstrating a devastating combination of speed and skill. And Fabrizio Romano reveals United have “informed” Diomande’s camp that they are unwilling to meet the asking price as their “main investments will be made in midfield. ” INEOS are said to “really like” the Ivory Coast international, who played alongside Amad at the Africa Cup of Nations, but consider him “too expensive”.