Liverpool’s pursuit of a Mohamed Salah replacement has been dealt a major blow after Yan Diomande picked Paris Saint-Germain as his next destination, while Manchester City agreed a club-record £116m deal for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.
Diomande, the 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger, has reached a verbal agreement with PSG and believes heading to Ligue 1 gives him the best chance of silverware, including a personal eye on the Ballon d’Or, according to the Athletic. The Reds had an initial bid of £69m, plus £17m in add-ons, rejected this month by RB Leipzig, who are demanding about £129m for a player who joined from Leganes last summer on a five-year deal. Leipzig insist they are under no financial pressure to sell and are prepared to offer Diomande an improved contract. PSG’s summer planning is being led by chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, sporting adviser Luis Campos and manager Luis Enrique, with the club aiming to make one or two high-profile additions after winning a second successive Champions League and another Ligue 1 title.
“Yan Diomande chooses PSG over Liverpool, while Man City agree £116m record deal for Elliot Anderson.”
Liverpool, who signed Spain winger Victor Munoz for £34.5m from Osasuna this month, must now look elsewhere. Among alternatives are Cologne’s Said El Mala, reportedly available for £43.1m, and Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, for whom the Reds have a £40m budget. El Mala has 13 goals and five assists this season, while Minteh has 10 goals and nine assists for Brighton since joining in 2024.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for a club-record £116m, with no bonuses attached, though other sources claim the deal could reach £130m, which would eclipse the British record £125m Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak. The 23-year-old England midfielder is set for a medical before completing his move to the Etihad. Forest had rejected two previous offers and are now expected to sign two midfielders, targeting Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall and Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi.
Anderson, preparing for England’s final Group L World Cup game against Panama on Saturday, told BBC Sport: “It’s pretty easy really, I’m just focusing on the present, I’m blocking it all out. I’ve got a plan and it’s to perform for England. I’m putting myself in the best position to cross the line and do that.” He joined Forest for £35m from Newcastle in 2024, making 88 appearances and scoring four goals, helping them finish seventh and then 16th with a Europa League semi-final run. His move effectively forced on Newcastle due to profit and sustainability rules, with manager Eddie Howe calling it “the most reluctant in my career.”