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

Andoni Iraola has been on the Anfield hot seat for 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 void on the right side of Liverpool’s attack, and the new manager – confirmed on June 4 after the exit of Arne Slot – needs to fill it before the squad reconvene ahead of pre-season in July.

The main objective is well established.

Fabrizio Romano reported this week that Liverpool are “offering significant 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 for the player to stay for another year, but Diomande is open to an exit this summer and Liverpool have him at the top of their shortlist.

PSG is also hiding, making things difficult.

If the French champions land Diomande, Liverpool will need to turn around quickly.

This is where Bradley Barcola comes in.

Romano confirmed that if Diomande ends up at PSG, Liverpool could move to Barcola, whose contract negotiations with the Paris team have stalled.

L’Equipe reported this week that PSG are “absolutely not against” letting him go, although a price tag in the region of £112m would make any deal difficult.

Liverpool have been tracking Barcola since August 2025 and their interest has never completely waned.

But Iraola’s recruitment team is not putting all its eggs in two baskets, there is a third option now.

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

The Ivory Coast left-footer joined Hoffenheim from Swedish side Hammarby in February 2025 for a fee of around £9m and has enjoyed an impressive season in Germany.

Toure bagged five goals and 12 assists in 30 Bundesliga appearances in a successful campaign that saw him return as one of the top performers in the division.

Aged 20, with a contract until 2029 and no release clause, Hoffenheim have held firm and have set an asking price of between £35m and £43m.

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

Man United are also firmly in the running, eyeing Toure as a powerful addition to their forward line under Michael Carrick. Aston Villa and Newcastle are described as “strongly interested” by TEAMtalk sources as well, while Brighton and Brentford are also monitoring developments.

Bayern Munich and Arsenal are also apparently aware of the situation but have yet to make any concrete moves.

For Liverpool, Toure represents something different to Diomande and Barcola – younger, cheaper, and with room to develop as a replacement for Salah.

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