Liverpool’s Winger Hunt: Diomande as the Priority, Minteh as the Backup
Liverpool’s post-Mohamed Salah rebuild has a clear focal point: a new right-sided winger to carry the goals, the chaos and the fear factor into a new era at Anfield.
At the top of the list sits RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande, a €130million (£112m) statement signing in waiting. But in the background, a very different profile – and a far cheaper one – is being lined up. Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh is understood to be one of the first names Liverpool will move for if the Diomande deal proves a bridge too far.
Diomande remains the dream
Liverpool’s recruitment team have made Diomande their priority. The Ivory Coast international has seen his stock surge on the back of standout World Cup performances, and Leipzig know it. That’s why they are holding firm at around €130m.
Liverpool have already tested that resolve. A £90m offer has been knocked back, yet the club’s stance has not softened. They are still pushing hard, still behaving like a side convinced this is the player to succeed Salah on the right and headline the next iteration of Andoni Iraola’s team.
Behind the scenes, the work has gone beyond bids and numbers. Diomande has been given a detailed picture of his role at Anfield, how he would be used, and how central he would be to the project. He is being sold a future, not just a contract.
Those close to the talks say Liverpool are increasingly confident the winger wants the move. The plan is clear: secure Diomande’s full commitment, then lean on that to force Leipzig’s hand. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has echoed that view, stressing that Liverpool are working the “player side” hard to get the green light and have Diomande tell Leipzig he wants to join.
That, Liverpool believe, is their strongest weapon in a negotiation that will not be decided quickly.
Minteh: the £40m safety net
But even the best-laid plans need an escape route. If Liverpool ultimately refuse to cross Leipzig’s financial line in the sand, they are not starting from scratch.
Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh is expected to be one of the first players they turn to. The Seagulls’ wide man is viewed as a stylistic fit for Iraola’s aggressive, front-foot football: rapid, direct, dangerous in one-v-one duels and capable of stretching defences on his own.
Liverpool are understood to have earmarked around £40m for a potential move. That figure is striking. It is £72m less than Diomande’s price tag, a gap that underlines how sharply the market splits between the established superstar and the emerging weapon.
For a club that has built much of its modern success on smart, value-driven deals, Minteh represents the kind of opportunity Liverpool have often exploited. A player with high upside, Premier League experience in a demanding system, and a fee that does not warp the wage structure or the wider squad planning.
A defining call in a post-Salah world
Liverpool are not behaving like a club ready to walk away from Diomande. The confidence is real, the pursuit is aggressive, and the belief that he can grow into Salah’s long-term successor has clearly resonated with the player.
But football’s market rarely bends without resistance. If Leipzig refuse to move and Liverpool stand firm on value, the picture changes quickly.
When that moment comes, the question will be simple: do they smash through their own ceiling for Diomande, or pivot to Minteh and trust their ability to turn potential into the next Anfield superstar?
