Liverpool are said to be keen on Ousmane Diomande as a backup option to Marc Guehi following their unsuccessful pursuit of the Crystal Palace skipper. The Reds made a last-ditch attempt to secure Guehi on deadline day during the summer transfer window, but ultimately failed in their efforts.
They had already brought in Giovanni Leoni to strengthen their defensive ranks but, the 18-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his debut. Questions also persist regarding Ibrahima Konate’s future as his deal runs out at the end of this campaign.
Consequently, there is talk that the club might recruit another centre-back during the January transfer window. Guehi remains the most logical target, but is not the sole player potentially up for grabs in the market.
Sky Sport reporter Gianluca Di Marzio suggests Diomande is among those the Reds are monitoring. “Liverpool are interested in Diomande,” the Italian revealed to Aceodds.com.
“I don’t think they’ll go for him in January, but they’re definitely scouting him. Liverpool work a lot, scouting players for months and months; they like to see the player in different situations, on and off the pitch.
“Diomande is one of the players Liverpool are following. [That] doesn’t mean they’ll go for him in January, but for sure, he’s one of the more interesting players in Europe, and Liverpool are following him.”
Di Marzio continued, “I think they’re more focused on getting Marc Guehi. He’s the perfect addition after Leoni’s injury, to have one player that is ready to play in the Premier League and Champions League. It depends a lot on Crystal Palace. Everybody thought he’d join Liverpool, but in the end, they said no.
“It also depends on Joe Gomez; AC Milan wanted him in the summer, and if they come back for him in January, Liverpool will have to find another defender, and they’ll probably raise the offer for Guehi and convince Crystal Palace to let him go. It depends a lot on Palace’s situation in January too.”
Nevertheless, the journalist is adamant that Konate will not depart this winter. “If he doesn’t renew the contract, he could join Real Madrid, but this won’t happen in January,” he stated. “Liverpool currently have a problem in defence; they invested in Leoni, but he’s out because of injury for seven to eight months. They don’t have enough players in that role, and I don’t think they will let the player go in January.
“If he doesn’t renew his contract, anything can happen; Real Madrid, with Alexander-Arnold, they appreciate Premier League players. If Konate is out of contract, it is a very good opportunity for them to get him, [which] could happen, but not in January.”
