Liverpool's Winger Hunt: Diomande or Minteh?
Liverpool’s winger hunt has a clear headline act. But there’s also a cut‑price understudy waiting in the wings on the south coast.
With Mohamed Salah gone after nine gilded years, Liverpool’s summer revolves around finding the next right‑sided star to carry the weight of Anfield’s expectations. All roads currently lead to RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande – yet the numbers attached to that deal have forced the club to at least sketch out an alternative route.
Diomande: The €130m statement signing
Diomande is the first choice. That much is not in doubt.
Leipzig have placed a €130million (£112m) price tag on the Ivory Coast winger, a fee that would put him among the most expensive signings in Liverpool’s history. The size of that figure has sparked debate inside and outside the club about whether they will actually go that high, but the pursuit has not cooled.
Liverpool have already tested Leipzig’s resolve with a £90million offer, knocked back without hesitation. Instead of retreating, the club have doubled down on the charm offensive aimed directly at the player.
Since Andoni Iraola walked through the door at Anfield, talks have accelerated. Liverpool have laid out a detailed plan for Diomande: where he fits tactically, how he will be used, and the status he would enjoy as the man earmarked to follow Salah on that right flank. Being told he is viewed as Salah’s long‑term successor has struck a chord. Diomande is described as excited by the chance to become one of the faces of Liverpool’s new era.
The club believe that work is paying off. According to multiple sources, confidence is growing that Diomande wants the move to Merseyside. His performances for Ivory Coast at the World Cup have only pushed his value and profile higher, but Liverpool’s focus has been on winning his commitment first, then Leipzig’s agreement.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has echoed that view, stressing that Liverpool’s priority right now is securing Diomande’s “green light” so he can push Leipzig to let him go. The strategy is clear: get the player fully on side, then force the issue on the fee.
Minteh: Brighton flyer emerges as the budget alternative
Yet Liverpool know how this market works. If Leipzig refuse to budge or the numbers spiral beyond what the club are prepared to sanction, they cannot afford to be caught without a Plan B.
That is where Yankuba Minteh enters the frame.
Caught Offside report that the Brighton winger would be “one of the first names” Liverpool move for if they decide to walk away from Diomande. The financial contrast is stark. Liverpool are said to have earmarked around £40million for Minteh – a sum that comes in £72million below Diomande’s asking price.
Minteh offers a different kind of appeal: value, upside, and a profile that fits Iraola’s football. The Brighton man is described as quick, direct, and dangerous in one‑v‑one situations, the sort of winger who can stretch a back line on his own. For a coach who wants aggression and verticality in wide areas, that matters.
He would not arrive with the same global billing as Diomande, nor the expectation of instantly filling Salah’s boots. But as a more economical option who still fits the tactical brief, he gives Liverpool a credible alternative if they decide that nine‑figure spending on a single wide player is a step too far.
Liverpool still pushing for their first choice
For now, though, all signs point in one direction. Liverpool are not behaving like a club preparing to back away from their primary target. They are acting like one convinced it can bend the situation to its will.
They have already seen one major bid turned down. They know the fee Leipzig want. Yet the belief inside Anfield, fuelled by their ongoing dialogue with Diomande’s camp, is that the winger’s desire to join will eventually become the decisive factor.
Minteh may sit near the top of the backup list, a ready‑made option if the numbers collapse under their own weight. But the message from Liverpool is clear: the new era on the right wing is still planned around Diomande.
The only question now is how far they are willing to go to make that vision real.
