Liverpool have been swiftly knocked back in their search for new forward talent after asking Paris Saint-Germain about a pair of their star men.
The Reds know that Mohamed Salah won’t be with them for much longer. He’s due to leave Anfield at the end of next season, and it could well be sooner.
That, coupled with an underwhelming season which currently sees Liverpool sixth in the Premier League in their title defence campaign, means they are looking for new talent in the final third.
According to our friends at TEAMtalk, Liverpool had PSG star duo Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola on their radars, and even asked the French giants about their availability.
However, they have quickly been informed that neither man is going to be available to them.
Indeed, sources told TEAMtalk that after the Reds made enquiries to establish whether either man would become available, the clear response came that both players are considered ‘central’ to PSG’s long-term plans.
Barcola is the club’s top scorer in Ligue 1 this season, while Doue has four goals and four assists in league football, as well as four goals and one assist in six Champions League games.
It’s little surprise that PSG aren’t planning to part with either of their stars in a hurry, and it will mean that Liverpool have to move on to other targets.
The report suggests that with both PSG men and Michael Olise off the market, RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande is emerging as a leading option for the post-Salah era.
It has been felt for months that Liverpool scouts firmly believe Diomande would be an excellent club for the attacking system at Anfield.
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The 19-year-old Ivorian has nine goals and six assists in 23 Bundesliga games this season, and his form and maturity have a lot of big clubs on alert.
As well as Liverpool, Manchester United are among the clubs hopeful of snaring Diomande.
United are currently above Liverpool in the Premier League and their pull for big players could be coming back if they remain in the upper echelons of the top flight.
Who ends up with Diomande remains to be seen, but it feels likely that Liverpool will continue to be linked with big-name forwards in the near future, as they attempt to set themselves up for life without Salah, and bounce back from a somewhat underwhelming season.
