Liverpool's Pursuit of Yan Diomande Slips Away: What Comes Next?

Liverpool’s pursuit of Yan Diomande is slipping away, and one of the club’s greatest goalscorers has a very different idea about what should happen next.

Diomande drifts towards Paris

Liverpool went hard for Diomande. An offer worth $113.9 million in total — $91.1m up front and $22.8m in add-ons — underlined how firmly the RB Leipzig winger sat at the top of their summer shortlist.

It wasn’t enough.

The bid was rejected, and the 19-year-old, currently starring for Ivory Coast at the 2026 World Cup, now has his eyes on Paris. Reports on Sunday revealed his preference is to join reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain, and a five-year agreement between player and club is said to be in place.

At this stage, it’s a negotiation between PSG and Leipzig. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has already opened direct talks with the Bundesliga side and is described as confident a deal will be struck. Liverpool, having made their move early, look destined to watch from the outside as one of Europe’s most exciting young wingers heads for Ligue 1.

Liverpool’s Plan B – and Fowler’s curveball

Liverpool have not been caught cold. Behind Diomande, a list of alternatives has been prepared and, according to previous reporting from The Athletic, four names are firmly in the frame: Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, Cologne’s Said El Mala, Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo and West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville.

All fit the modern Liverpool profile: young, energetic, resale value baked in.

But Robbie Fowler sees the picture differently.

The former Liverpool striker took to X to float a name that has barely featured in the current rumour mill: Christian Pulisic.

“Plenty of rumours about as to who's going to @LFC. One name I've not seen mentioned is Pulisic,” Fowler wrote. “Good age, played in the Prem, exciting player, I'd take him, potentially a Salah type of pathway, thoughts?”

In one post, Fowler cut through the talk of emerging talents and pointed straight at a player who is already proven at the highest level and who, crucially, knows the Premier League.

Pulisic’s profile: proven and restless

Pulisic, 27, is in the thick of a pivotal summer. He is leading the United States at a World Cup on home soil, playing two of three group games as Mauricio Pochettino’s side topped Group D to reach the knockouts.

At club level, he has rebuilt his reputation in Italy. The AC Milan attacker has become one of Serie A’s standout forwards, even if his numbers in 2025/26 sit just behind Diomande’s. Pulisic has 10 goals and 4 assists; Diomande has 13 goals and 10 assists. The output favours the Leipzig winger, but the American’s pedigree is long established.

Before Milan, there was Chelsea. Ninety-eight Premier League appearances between 2019 and 2023, 20 league goals, flashes of brilliance in a turbulent era at Stamford Bridge. He knows the pace, the physicality, the scrutiny.

That matters to a club like Liverpool, who may soon need a succession plan in wide areas and can’t afford a long adaptation period.

Contract tension at Milan

The timing is intriguing.

Pulisic has just one year left on his Milan contract, although the club hold an option to extend it by a further 12 months. According to TEAMtalk, the player is unhappy that Milan have not yet approached him over a new deal that reflects his status as one of Serie A’s best attackers.

That silence has had consequences. The report states that his entourage has already sounded out Premier League clubs — Liverpool among them — over a potential return to England.

For Milan, the equation is simple. Trigger the option and risk an unhappy star, or cash in while his value is high, especially if he produces a strong World Cup on American soil. For Pulisic, this summer could be the moment to choose between being the centrepiece in Italy or stepping back into the glare of the Premier League.

A different kind of signing

Pulisic is not Diomande. He is older, more established, less of a long-term project and more of a ready-made weapon. Diomande represents raw upside; Pulisic offers immediate impact and a body of work across the Bundesliga, Premier League and Serie A.

Liverpool’s recruitment team have built an era on finding the next big thing. Fowler is arguing for something slightly different: a player who has already ridden the rollercoaster in England, rebuilt himself abroad, and might be ready for a stage like Anfield.

If Diomande does walk through the doors of the Parc des Princes, Liverpool will turn to their list. The question now is whether the name Christian Pulisic, thrown into the debate by one of the club’s most prolific finishers, starts to climb towards the top.