23 Jun 2026 21:28:50
Received from a friend from back when I worked in the Bundesliga (said friend is an agent who represents many German clubs)
"To be honest the sticking point is the fact they want him another year. If Liverpool were willing to buy and loan back for a year like they did with Keita, the deal would get very simple, very quickly.
You think they'd be interested?"
My friend does not represent Diomande or his club (far as I know), but agent networks are like sewing circles. Everyone knows everything.
23 Jun 2026 22:56:24
Maybe goes against Red Bull model... If players can't leave when a big club comes in, then there will be less incentive to sign for Red Bull in the first place... Red Bull Leipzig is a stepping stone for players to be showcased... If he wants to go, Red Bull has to sell.
23 Jun 2026 23:05:19
Liverpool can't afford to spend £100 million on a player and not have him join now. We need 2-3 new wingers for this season. Unfortunately for Diomande it's now or never.
23 Jun 2026 23:51:28
Can't imagine us going for that. We have a big gaping hole on the wing waiting for him right now. If he doesn't sign now, we will sign someone else and his path will be closed.
24 Jun 2026 00:41:52
How do you know what Liverpool's budget is and what they can or can't do @Potassium?
24 Jun 2026 01:17:59
Deal!
Oh, and by the way, we don't want to pay RBL any money for 5 years, is that ok?
24 Jun 2026 01:24:02
Let's buy a player fr a 100 mill n loan him out hahaha.
24 Jun 2026 01:58:07
Whatever you may have heard, Liverpool will absolutely not be going for a deal like that again. Aside from the fact that the Keita deal was one of the worst transfers in Liverpool's 134-year history, the selling club simply does not get to dictate a term like that when the buying club is paying just south of 100m GBP.
If Diomande doesn't perform well next season, then Red Bull will have also likely lost out on that money.
24 Jun 2026 02:37:19
I don't know if this is plausible, but if we could agree terms for a deal in principle for the 2027/28 season, then I would be ok with that.
That would lock in the cost, which you could budget for, and then we're not being held to ransom in a year's time, as well as not having an asset that we've currently allocated $100mil for today.
24 Jun 2026 03:54:01
Faith, why on earth would that be even a remotely good outcome for Liverpool?
1. You lock in 100m which now can't be used on other players unless you have a get-out clause, which almost makes the negotiations this summer a waste of time.
2. We don't get the player we want for another year, so we can't begin to build the future team fully.
3. Any poor periods of form will be lazily linked back to not getting Diomande this summer, rather than attributed to the actual cause.
The media will be fully onboard with this yet the fans will not.
4. Diomande's development may be negatively affected by an extra season at Leipzig (for all sorts of reasons, both physical and psychological).
There are no benefits to Liverpool paying 100m for a player to join in a year's time - none whatsoever. A superpower club simply wouldn't entertain such a ridiculous stipulation.
24 Jun 2026 04:23:07
I'm just trying to think of another type of business where people would think it was a good idea to buy something for a lot of money but let someone else use it for a year.
24 Jun 2026 06:32:47
@Potassium,
Houses. People frequently buy them and then never live in them and simply loan them to someone else perpetually.
24 Jun 2026 07:54:40
Yes, Nevada, but the people who loan them houses out are paid handsomely. Are RB going to deduct or pay us a 1/5 of the fee and cover all his expenses, wages... I doubt it. Ridiculous on their end.
24 Jun 2026 07:57:38
That's called real estate investment. Is that the business LFC and FSG are in now?
24 Jun 2026 08:52:56
I'd rather we didn't go for that, but imagine that they would agree to a fair bit less than 100mil if they get to keep him on loan for a year is the only guess I could make.
If it's still 100mil then they can foxtrot Oscar!
24 Jun 2026 09:35:18
@Lowe, didn't we do the same thing with Marmadashvili and Jacquet that we did with Naby?
24 Jun 2026 11:07:35
The difference from the Marma deal is that he was a back up, as we had Ali. We also weren't paying £100m. Can't recall the circumstances of the Keita deal, but it's a shame we bought him at all.
In terms of the reward to them of keeping him another year, and then selling at a fixed price, they must think he'll help them win more prize money.
For us, we gain little, given we have a desperate current need for a right winger. He could get injured with them, and we'd still be obliged to buy, etc.
It's probably just a negotiating position. If we add CL second-stage qualification prize winnings to the initial offer, that should be enough to seal the deal.
24 Jun 2026 11:33:37
Seems unlikely. More chance Diomande signing a new deal with them that includes a release clause.
24 Jun 2026 11:54:32
Nah, we ain't paying 100m for a player and loaning him out.
That's not a thing, I'm sorry.
24 Jun 2026 12:13:58
Since people asked, I sent a message to my friend to ask him if the deal would be the same value if Liverpool accepted the loan back for a year, and he said
"They'd probably be willing to accept a lower bid, maybe 20m or so less if Liverpool accepted the loan back for a year."
I personally doubt this will happen, because the player is needed right now, so I think we will just end up paying 120m to get him now instead.
That's only me guessing though.
24 Jun 2026 12:24:03
Aquilani bought him when injured and hardly featured at all, cost a few quid too. He was a really big mistake. Things happen, but mistakes continue anyway.
24 Jun 2026 13:21:37
Lowe, I said if we could agree a deal in principle for the following season then I'd be ok with that.
I didn't say that it would be good to lock in $100mil now and then send him back to Rbl for a season.
I didn't read the rest of your post after scratching my head at your first line.
24 Jun 2026 13:51:04
Does selling hotdogs at the stadium qualify as working in the Bundesliga now? ???