Liverpool offered DISCOUNT on elite Cody Gakpo upgrade

Tom Weber
Tom Weber
  • Updated: 18 Feb 2026 14:54 GMT
  • 5 min read
Cody Gakpo, Liverpool
© IMAGO

Liverpool have been told that they may be able to get a cheaper deal for RB Leipzig wonderkid Yan Diomande amid concerns over Cody Gakpo's form.

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The Reds splashed the cash in 2025, and they have already done so again in 2026, agreeing a €70 million deal for Stade Rennais wonderkid Jeremy Jacquet to join in the summer.

Although Liverpool have done a great job at getting value from sales, consistently spending big is unsustainable in an age of stringent financial regulations. At the same time, however, players are not getting any cheaper.

Compared
Player image Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah

F, M (R)

Liverpool logo

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah

F, M (R)

Liverpool

Liverpool

VS

Player image Cody Gakpo
Cody Gakpo

F, M (L)

Liverpool logo

Liverpool

Cody Gakpo
Cody Gakpo

F, M (L)

Liverpool

Liverpool

€49M

ETV

€77.3M

€44.1M - €53.9M ETV Range €69.6M - €85M
33 years old (15 Jun, 1992) Age 26 years old (07 May, 1999)
Egypt Egypt
Nationality
Netherlands Netherlands

Heading into the summer, Liverpool are once again looking for offensive reinforcements. With Mohamed Salah expected to head to Saudi Arabia and Cody Gakpo increasingly drawing criticism for his predictable attacking patterns, a winger signing is likely to be on the agenda.

Like most top clubs around Europe, the Anfield outfit have taken a liking to RB Leipzig youngster Yan Diomande, one of the breakout stars of this Bundesliga season. The Ivorian has notched nine goals and six assists so far this term.

Diomande to be cheaper?

It has been widely reported that Leipzig will not sell the 19-year-old for less than €100 million this summer, but talkSPORT has now cast doubt on those claims. The report asserts that the Red Bulls may have to accept a cheaper fee if they miss out on the Champions League.

Leipzig have been inconsistent for several months now, and Stuttgart finally climbed above them into fourth at the weekend after Diomande and company failed to beat Wolfsburg. Leverkusen are also breathing down their necks.

Yan Diomande
© IMAGO - Yan Diomande

It has already been pointed out in the German press that a second consecutive season without Champions League football would necessitate some big sales. Diomande, as the club's hottest property, will be among the first to jump ship.

Should Leipzig indeed miss out on the Champions League, the teenage winger could potentially be signed for less than €90m, which will be good news for Liverpool, who are considered the favourites to sign him.

Diomande previously revealed that it would be a dream come true to play for the Reds, but he clarified in a recent interview that Liverpool are the favourite club of his father, not his own.

Legendary Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is currently Red Bull's head of global soccer, and Diomande has admitted that he occasionally speaks to the 58-year-old. However, he insists that a transfer to Anfield has not been discussed.

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