Liverpool are set to appoint Andoni Iraola as their new manager this week, and Yan Diomande has already approved a move to join him at Anfield this summer, according to Santi Aouna.

Liverpool look set for a transformational summer with Iraola replacing Arne Slot in the dugout, and big changes expected on the pitch too.

Some big presences and voices in the dressing room have departed in Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate, and they will need to be replaced in the coming months.

Jeremy Jacquet will arrive on Merseyside this summer after the Reds agreed a £60m deal to sign the centre-back in the January transfer window, while their options at left-back are Milos Kerkez and Kostas Tsimikas.

Liverpool’s recruitment team also have a lot of work to do in attack following Salah’s exit, and with Hugo Ekitike likely to be out until 2027 after suffering a ruptured Achilles.

The Reds have a shortage of depth and quality up front, especially with the 2025-26 season suggesting they are unable to rely on the fitness of club-record signing Alexander Isak.

They are already working to sort out the issue though, with a major boost involving Diomande.

Yan Diomande Gives Green Light to Liverpool Transfer

According to French journalist Santi Aouna, posting on X, RB Leipzig sensation Diomande has already approved moves to both Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the transfer window officially opening on June 15.

The 19-year-old is the Reds’ number one target to replace Salah at Anfield, following an outstanding breakthrough season for Leipzig.

The ‘superstar’ winger ended the campaign with 13 goals and 10 assists in 36 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit, showing his quality and potential for the future.

Now it is up to either Liverpool or PSG to agree a fee with Leipzig, with one journalist suggesting that they value him at up to €120m (£104m).

Liverpool Ready to Hijack Man United Transfer Talks

Manchester United are another club planning big changes to their squad this summer after qualifying for the Champions League, and they face new competition from Liverpool in the race to sign West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes.

The Portugal international has got the green light to leave the relegated Irons this summer as he wants to avoid playing in the Championship, having been one of the club’s best performers in the Premier League this term.

Despite Fernandes now suffering two successive Premier League relegations, he has come out of both seasons with Southampton and West Ham with many plaudits, arguably being the best player for both clubs despite only being 21 years of age now.

United have been considered the frontrunners for his signature with the player said to be keen to link up with Portuguese compatriot Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford, but TEAMtalk claim that Liverpool are ‘ones to watch’ in an expected fierce battle for his signature this summer.

West Ham want £80m for their star man, but offers from interested clubs are set to be closer to the £60m mark, with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain also making contact over a potential deal.

Manchester United have reached an agreement with Atalanta to sign midfielder Ederson as details of the deal emerge, as reported first by David Ornstein.

Man United have been focusing on strengthening their midfield ahead of the summer transfer window officially opening on June 15, with an agreement close on a move for the Brazilian for many days.

Now it looks set to go through in early July, but the 26-year-old won’t be the last arrival in the middle of the park, especially if Manuel Ugarte leaves with Casemiro.

If the Uruguayan does leave, then the Red Devils could look to bring in three senior midfielders, while 17-year-old Cristian Orozco will also join officially next month to further bolster the position.

United’s midfield rebuild is needed to supplement a rejuvenated Kobbie Mainoo, who became one of the first names on the team-sheet under Michael Carrick in the second half of the season, having seen his minutes limited under Ruben Amorim previously.

Mainoo had requested a January exit on loan, but Amorim was replaced by Carrick and he forged a formidable central midfield partnership with Casemiro.

Now, United are looking for their next strong pairing with the England international.

Ornstein: Man United Reach £38.8m Agreement With Atalanta

Posting on X on Tuesday night, David Ornstein confirmed that United have finally reached an agreement with Atalanta over the transfer of Ederson.

The price for the ‘monster’ Brazilian international will be €40.5m, plus €4.5m of potential bonuses, meaning the total deal is worth up to £38.8m.

Personal terms are already in place on a contract that will be four years, with the option to extend it by a further 12 months.

The deal might not be officially completed for another month however, with Ederson still needing to undergo a medical, but all parties do expect to seal the transfer in early July.

Which Other Midfielders are Man United Targeting?

Manchester United are still on the lookout for an elite replacement for Casemiro, with many big-money names linked with the club.

Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is their number one target, according to GMS sources, although the England international has a hefty price tag and his preference is to join Manchester City if they firm up their interest in him.

Fabrizio Romano says that Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni is the club’s ‘dream’ Casemiro successor, but again Los Blancos are currently keen to keep him at the Bernabeu despite his high-profile training ground bust-up with Federico Valverde.

Elsehwere, reports in Italy had suggested that United were close to an agreement for Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali, with Carrick instructing club chiefs to bring him to Old Trafford.

United are also keen on some low-price midfielders too, such as Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney and Southampton’s Shea Charles.

Lionel Messi‘s assessment of a young Ousmane Dembele re-emerged in 2025 after the French winger inspired Paris Saint-Germain to their first-ever Champions League title over Inter Milan. Those comments are now worth looking at again, after PSG’s back-to-back success in that same competition, with the Frenchman once again pivotal.

While not getting on the scoresheet vs Inter, the winger was in sensational form, setting up his teammates twice en route to a record-breaking 5-0 victory. He then scored a penalty vs Arsenal, as PSG drew with the Gunners in normal time before winning the shoot-out.

As a result of the European triumph, Dembele has now made himself a frontrunner to win this year’s Ballon d’Or, having been awarded the prize in 2025. While it has taken some time, it is safe to say that the forward has lived up to the potential his teenage self had, which makes Messi’s comments back when he first joined Barcelona all the more interesting.

Messi’s Praise of Dembele Vindicated

The Argentine’s prediction may end up being spot on

After impressing at both Stade Rennais and Borussia Dortmund, a then 20-year-old Dembele would make the move to Camp Nou in a monstrous £135.5 million deal in 2017. By 2018, things had already shown signs that they weren’t exactly going to plan, but as per talkSPORT, Messi continued to back the budding star, saying:

Though the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s proclamation appears to have come true, it never did at Barcelona. Recurring injuries and inconsistent form meant that Dembele never reached the heights hoped of him, scoring just 40 times in 185 appearances.

He moved to PSG in 2023, however, and under Luis Enrique, his fortunes have changed dramatically. As a result of a brilliant couple of seasons, he could now follow in Messi’s footsteps by becoming a rare player to lift the Ballon d’Or more than once (just 10 have managed that so far). He was effectively the replacement for Messi at the Stade de Princes, and he has more than filled the void left by the magical Argentine.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – accurate as of 02/06/2026.