Liverpool ‘to Rival Man Utd’ in Pursuit of Talented Winger Duo

The two sides could be set to butt heads over two more transfer targets.

Liverpool and Man Utd are chasing the same attacking targets. / James Gill/Danehouse/Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images

Liverpool and Manchester United could be about to collide in the January transfer window, with reports revealing their mutual interest in RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande and Köln’s Said El Mala.

The two Premier League heavyweights have both fallen short of expectations this season, locked in a battle for Champions League qualification after tumbling behind Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa in the standings.

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Both spent heavily to reinforce their forward lines during the summer and reports suggest they will be back in the market in 2026.

From a United perspective, they are known to be admirers of 19-year-old Diomande, while BILD claim an approach has been made for El Mala, whose price tag of up to €40 million (£34.9 million, $47 million) is far more enticing than the €70 million needed for Diomande.

The Daily Mail, however, names both Diomande and El Mala as targets for Liverpool as well.

With both sides expecting to lose out to Man City in pursuit of Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, Liverpool and United are drawing up a list of alternatives and see Diomande and El Mala as two of the most exciting forward prospects around.

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Yan Diomande vs. Said El Mala

Yan Diomande (left) and Said El Mala (right) have both caught the eye. / Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Pau Barrena/Getty Images

The 2025–26 season has been a breakout campaign for both Diomande and El Mala, who have undoubtedly passed the eye test in the Bundesliga this year.

Diomande has six goals and three assists in 14 Bundesliga games, racking up those contributions as a right winger despite being billed as a left-sided forward, and it is a remarkably similar situation for El Mala.

The Köln forward also has six goals and three assists to his name but has reached that tally in 15 games, although El Mala has played around 200 fewer minutes than Ivory Coast international Diomande.

Diomande and El Mala are both contracted to their respective clubs until 2030 but Leipzig are expected to prove tougher negotiators over their star prospect. Diomande has been valued at closer to €100 million but is not likely to command such a high figure after just one season in the headlines.

El Mala, meanwhile, could be available for around half the price at the end of a stunning breakout year which was actually his first in top-flight football. The Germany Under-21 international was playing in the third tier last season but has adapted seamlessly to life in the Bundesliga and is expected to depart for pastures new in the coming months.

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