Liverpool in ‘regular contact’ to sign £43m star as they look to pip Villa and Newcastle

Andoni Iraola has been in the Anfield hot seat for barely a week and the challenge at Liverpool is already clear: replace Mohamed Salah.

The Egyptian’s departure at the end of his contract has left a gaping hole on the right side of Liverpool’s attack, and the new head coach — confirmed on June 4 after Arne Slot’s exit — needs to fill it before the squad reconvenes for pre-season in July.

The primary target is well established.

Fabrizio Romano reported this week that Liverpool are “offering important money” to RB Leipzig for Yan Diomande, the 19-year-old Ivorian winger who has emerged as one of the most exciting young attackers in European football.

Leipzig want around £87 million and are reportedly pushing the player to stay for another year, but Diomande is open to leaving this summer and Liverpool have placed him firmly at the top of their shortlist.

PSG are also lurking, which complicates matters.

If the French champions land Diomande, Liverpool would need to pivot quickly.

That is where Bradley Barcola comes in.

Romano confirmed that if Diomande ends up at PSG, Liverpool could move for Barcola, whose contract talks with the Parisian club have stalled.

L’Equipe reported this week that PSG are “not completely opposed” to letting him leave, though a price tag in the region of £112m would make any deal complicated.

Liverpool tracked Barcola as far back as August 2025 and their interest has never fully gone away.

But Iraola’s recruitment team are not putting all their eggs in two baskets, with a third option now emerging.

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool have formally registered their interest in Hoffenheim winger Bazoumana Toure, notifying the Bundesliga club directly of their intention to pursue the 20-year-old.

The Ivorian left-footer joined Hoffenheim from Swedish side Hammarby in February 2025 for around £9m and has enjoyed a remarkable breakthrough season in Germany.

Toure bagged five goals and 12 assists in 30 Bundesliga appearances in a breakthrough campaign that himself as one of the division’s most creative wide players.

At 20, with a contract running until 2029 and no release clause, Hoffenheim hold a strong hand and have set an asking price of between £35m and £43m.

Any sale at that level would be a club record, and it is believed that Liverpool are in ‘regular contact’ over Toure.

Man United are also firmly in the race, viewing Toure as a dynamic addition to their forward line under Michael Carrick. Aston Villa and Newcastle are described as “very interested” by TEAMtalk’s sources too, while Brighton and Brentford have also been monitoring developments.

Bayern Munich and Arsenal are also apparently aware of the situation but have not yet made concrete moves.

For Liverpool, Toure represents something different to Diomande and Barcola — younger, cheaper, and with room to develop rather than an immediate like-for-like Salah replacement.

Whether Iraola sees him as a starter or a long-term project will determine how aggressively the club push, but the formal interest has been lodged, and the race is on.