Premier League
Liverpool's Hughes names four back-up attackers if Diomande deal collapses
Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has identified four alternative attackers should the club’s pursuit of Yan Diomande collapse. The 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger has been Liverpool’s top summer target but faces competition from Paris Saint-Germain and a £150 million asking price from Leipzig.
Hughes and technical director Michael Edwards lead Liverpool’s transfer strategy, though manager Andoni Iraola retains final approval on arrivals. Iraola previously drove the Victor Muñoz signing, completed to strengthen Liverpool’s attack.
Despite Muñoz’s arrival, Liverpool remain in the market for another attacker, with Ben Jacobs outlining three names under consideration. Köln’s Said El Mala, Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and Lille’s Matias Fernández-Pardo are all pace-focused options if Diomande falls through.
Bradley Barcola has also been monitored by Liverpool this summer as an additional attacking option. The club’s need stems from a struggling 2025-26 campaign in which Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo underperformed, prompting the £241 million signings of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
Liverpool submits €100m bid for Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig
Liverpool’s attack has been a weak point, with Luis Díaz departing last summer and Díaz, Salah and Gakpo failing to deliver expected returns. Muñoz’s arrival provides youth but the club seeks further firepower to compete for trophies. Jacobs, writing on X, confirmed Liverpool’s intent to sign another attacker alongside Muñoz. He stressed pace as a key criterion for the new signing, aligning with the profiles of El Mala, Minteh and Fernández-Pardo. Leipzig’s valuation of Diomande has complicated negotiations, with PSG also active in the market. Hughes’s shortlist offers contingency options if the Ivorian’s transfer cannot be completed. Liverpool’s attack remains unsettled despite heavy investment, with Wirtz and Isak yet to justify their fees. The club’s hierarchy believes another high-calibre attacker could stabilize the front line long-term.