Liverpool transfer news - Yan Diomande, Mohamed Salah, Ayyoub Bouaddi

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Liverpool supporters were subjected to transfer rumour whiplash this week as false reports of a second bid for Yan Diomande being rejected by RB Leipzig quickly made their way around the internet, only to be pooh-poohed after it transpired that the quoted source didn't actually exist.Needless to say, the story ended up in this column's nonsense section on Thursday, and the ECHO's LFC correspondent Paul Gorst has since thoroughly debunked the rumours in an all-encompassing read that laid out exactly where the Reds are up to with the biggest transfer story of the summer.Long story short, there's been no breakthrough *yet* - Liverpool are still leading the race and remain locked in talks with the German side after an initial offer worth up to £86m was rejected, but Leipzig are holding out for a £112m record sale for their 19-year-old wonderkid.Actually, can Diomande even be called a wonderkid at this point?On Thursday night he got his first direct goal contribution at a World Cup, becoming the first player this century to complete 10 dribbles and create 10 chances in his first three games on international football's biggest stage.Despite the impasse, a recent article in Bild - the German publication falsely attributed as the source for the story - claimed that Leipzig are looking at a summer where they need to bring in €113m (£97m), making Diomande's sale the simplest solution.With the winger's Jay-Z-owned agency, Roc Nation, supposedly putting pressure on Leipzig to wrap up a deal quickly, things are still looking promising for Liverpool.More on that and plenty more stories to come as we round up the latest gossip and rumours in the Reds transfer news column....Leipzig exit this summer "most likely" for DiomandeLeipzig have not been willing negotiators in this saga. Patience might be needed."For the player's part, Diomande has insisted he isn't thinking about his future as long as Ivory Coast's World Cup campaign continues.

The signing of Victor Munoz proved Liverpool won't be dissuaded from conducting business for World Cup players during the tournament, and things could accelerate quickly once Ivory Coast's campaign comes to an end.They take on Norway on Tuesday (June 30).Saudi side could move for SalahAs hard as it is to accept, Mohamed Salah's Liverpool career is over after the club agreed to mutually terminate their third all-time top scorer's contract this summer.Having said that, clarity on where the Egyptian King will play his football next season has been conspicuously absent. Only time will tell if this is indeed Mo's preferred destination, or if an opportunity to continue competing in Europe presents itself.Reds have "firm interest" in Morocco star BouaddiSteele provided another update for the Daily Mail on one of Liverpool's most talked-about targets over the last couple of weeks, in the shape of Lille and Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.The 18-year-old has featured consistently in Ligue 1 over the last two seasons and announced himself to the world with a performance that combined grace and aggression in equal measure when he made his debut World Cup appearance against Brazil earlier this month.Steele said: "One player who Liverpool's interest is more firm in is Ayyoub Bouaddi of Lille and Monaco.

With it very much in Lille's interest to start a bidding war, no imminent solution is expected until after the World Cup.It would be seen as a risk to pin the hopes of Liverpool's midfield refresh on someone still so young - but if Bouaddi fulfils his potential, he could have the world at his feet.Liverpool to pip Newcastle to another winger?An intriguing story keeps rearing its head around one Allan Elias, a 22-year-old Brazilian playing at Palmeiras. Allan, by all accounts, is a good player - he's keeping Arias, whose reputation remains strong in Brazil, out of position on the left wing - but he's only managed nine goals and 10 assists in 88 appearances for Palmeiras and has never played for Brazil at any level, making the suggestion that an announcement would have to wait until after the World Cup a bizarre one.Even so, the Reds should be making more moves like this.