International News
Yan Diomande: Liverpool Set With Improved Bid After £86m Offer Rejection
Liverpool have had an £86million bid for Yan Diomande rejected after a frantic day in which they made Osasuna winger Victor Munoz the first signing of the Andoni Iraola era.
It had been anticipated that Liverpool would back their new head coach in the transfer market and they made clear their intentions late on Wednesday when they hijacked Newcastle’s quest to land Munoz and swiftly concluded a £34.5 million deal to bring the Spain international to Anfield.
Munoz was given permission by the Spanish Football Federation to undergo a medical after Liverpool sent their own staff to the United States to complete the tests.
Once the formalities of securing a work permit are concluded, the 22-year-old will commit to a contract that runs to June 2032.
Adding pace to their attack has been Liverpool’s priority all summer, which is why they were thrilled to sign Munoz, but they have now made an aggressive move to secure their prime objective Diomande, who is also wanted by PSG.
RB Leipzig have maintained that Diomande is not for sale but the reality is Liverpool and PSG are prepared to pay the kind of money that would ensure they do business.
Liverpool’s first offer of £78.1m, with a further £8m in add-ons, has been rebuffed.
This is unlikely to deter them. Liverpool and RB Leipzig historically have a strong relationship and Liverpool will now consider their next move – the intention is clear, however, and that is to give Iraola all the tools he needs at the earliest opportunity to get the club moving forward again.
The transfer of Munoz came out of leftfield, as Newcastle were convinced they were going to land the former Real Madrid youth player, who had also attracted interest from Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester United. They had made a bid of £29m, with a further £5m in add-ons.
They suspected something had gone wrong on Tuesday, however, when the entourage of Munoz – who had previously indicated he had wanted to go to the Northeast – stopped answering calls and Liverpool arrived late to get the matter concluded. Liverpool will pay the £34.5m fee in two chunks.
There are echoes of this transfer, given how swiftly it has been completed, with Liverpool’s move for Dominik Szoboszlai in 2023 when they again pounced late in the day for the Hungary midfielder after Newcastle had appeared to be making all the running.
Adding Munoz and potentially adding Diomande, who is also currently at the World Cup, is another clear example of how Liverpool are changing the profile of their squad in terms of its age, to build a team that can progress together.
Liverpool had already done one piece of business ahead of the summer window and that was concluding a deal in January to sign Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes, the France Under-21 international chose Anfield ahead of Chelsea when his £59.5million fee was agreed.
It is anticipated there will be more additions and Liverpool have contingency plans in place if they cannot strike a deal for Diomande and they are looking at other options, one being Bradley Barcola, of Paris St Germain.
Reports on Saturday suggested Liverpool’s priority had become adding a midfielder and they were immediately linked to Ayyoub Bouaddi following his outstanding performance against Brazil for Morocco.
As much as Liverpool have been tracking his progress – along with a number of other Premier League clubs, including Arsenal – there remains a possibility the 18-year-old, who plays for Lille, will end up signing for Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappe has significantly boosted his chances of winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or despite strong competition from the likes of Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane, and Lionel Messi.
The France captain has been electric at this World Cup, scoring eight goals in six games.
He was once again pivotal as France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals, opening the scoring after missing a first-half penalty.
Mbappe’s performances have seen him climb to the top of the Ballon d’Or power rankings, overtaking his French teammate Dembélé, England and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane, and Lionel Messi.
Mbappe has never won the award but came close in 2022-23, finishing third behind Erling Haaland and eventual winner Messi.
According to Polymarket, he now leads with a 28% chance of winning, ahead of Harry Kane (25.4%), Ousmane Dembélé (15%), and Lionel Messi (13%).
Kylian Mbappé has surpassed Harry Kane for 1st place in the Ballon d’Or rankings on Polymarket:
28% – Mbappé
25% – Kane
15% – Dembélé
13% – Messi
Senegalese player and former Liverpool reliable, Sadio Mane has announced his retirement from the Senegalese national team.
In a press release, the Al-Nasir and Senegalese striker writes in particular:
Know that I have sacrificed everything for this flag. I have given the best of myself and have always fought fiercely for our homeland.
Your constant support has been the driving force behind my success.
Tomorrow, it is with pleasure that I will put my experience at the service of the Nation, whether within a technical staff, on a coaching bench, or in governing bodies.
Paul Pogba’s spell at Monaco could be cut short after making just six appearances in an injury-plagued debut season.
Pogba joined the Ligue 1 outfit last June after his original four-year doping ban was reduced to 18 months.
The 33-year-old signed a two-year deal at Monaco, but his 2025-26 campaign proved to be a nightmare as he only started one match and played a grand total of just 115 minutes across all of his outings.
The former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder hoped to make France’s World Cup squad but those plans went awry due to his fitness issues and performance levels.
Pogba – who earned £290,000-per-week in his second spell at United – is reportedly earning below £44,000-per-week at Monaco, but despite the relatively low top-flight income he could be sold as the club look to lower their wage bill under the DNCG (French football’s financial watchdog) regulations.
Speaking to Get French Football News, Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro said: ‘It is a complicated topic because we have a lot of respect for Paul, for the person he is. Since he arrived, he has been very positive.
‘It is also true that, last year, the project didn’t work well because when we started with him in the summer, the expectations were very different to what happened. I think that we have to be fair with him, follow his preparation every week, how he will progress physically and technically and then it will be the manager’s decision.
‘We have the summer to see what level we will see from Pogba. He could [leave at the end of the summer]. With Paul, it has always been a very open and transparent relationship.
‘If, at some point, the expectations of the player are different to the expectations of the club, we will have to speak to find a solution. The performance will give all the answers that we need. Maybe he will stay, maybe he will leave.’
Pogba was emotional when he signed for Monaco last summer, describing his comeback as a second chance after what he called ‘a time of darkness’.
The midfielder told Daily Mail Sport in 2024 that he discovered news of his reduced ban while preparing for a film premiere, adding: ‘We went through hell. A time of darkness. But this is my second chance, I have to use it.’
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