‘The reality is…’ – What transfer insider was told about Liverpool’s chances of signing Diomande

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Liverpool continue to be strongly linked with a move for Yan Diomande, but their chances of signing him could hinge heavily on one factor in particular.Anfield chiefs have maintained regular contact with the representatives of the RB Leipzig winger, who’s become one of the most sought-after young players in European football and – as Paul Joyce explained recently – would fit the profile of wide attacker that the Merseysiders are seeking.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYHowever, Arne Slot’s side could be at risk of missing out on the 19-year-old to one of their biggest Premier League rivals, who as it stands would be able to offer him something the Reds might not.Liverpool may need top-five finish to win the race for DiomandeAccording to transfer insider Mark Brus for CaughtOffside, Arsenal have also ‘reached out’ to Diomande’s entourage to ‘be kept informed over his future’, and one source explained why the Gunners might currently be in a stronger position than Liverpool in the race for the Ivory Coast international.They outlined: “Diomande is Liverpool’s preferred Salah replacement, but the reality is that they’ll struggle to get him without Champions League football, and there is a huge amount of interest from all over Europe, with Arsenal very much in the race.”Want more Empire of the Kop coverage?

Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustYet another reason why Champions League qualification is a mustIf indeed Champions League participation is a dealbreaker for the Leipzig starlet – as can often be the case for players excelling at clubs who aren’t involved in the competition – that serves to underline the importance of Liverpool qualifying for it next season.Should the Reds miss out, not only will they be deprived of hundreds of millions in prize money and revenue – they could also find it harder to entice their primary transfer targets, who’d understandably be keen to join a club who are in Europe’s flagship tournament.A scorer of 11 goals in 30 matches this season, Diomande would tick many of the boxes in terms of an ideal long-term successor to Mo Salah – he’s prolific in a major European league, his best years are still ahead of him, and he’d inject a spark into an LFC attack which has had very little of it in recent months.Absence from the Champions League isn’t strictly a barrier to signing top players – Liverpool signed Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, Bobby Firmino, Sadio Mane, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister when they didn’t have that carrot to offer – but it certainly helps to be involved in that competition.The next seven weeks could be massive not just in terms of shaping how this season comes to be viewed retrospectively for the Reds, but also how competitive they may or may not be in subsequent campaigns.If a top-five finish ultimately helps to attract Diomande to Anfield, it could be every bit as game-changing as the move which brought Salah to Merseyside nine years ago.