Liverpool have one more game to secure Champions League football next season, but off-field transfer news is already dominating headlines. The Reds are in fifth place in the Premier League table and would only drop to the Europa League if they lose and Bournemouth reverse a goal difference deficit against Nottingham Forest, with Liverpool's currently six better off.
Contract Prepared for £103m Target
RB Leipzig are preparing to offer Liverpool target Yan Diomande a new contract to ward off interest for the winger. The 19-year-old appeared on the Reds' radar after moving to Germany last summer in a deal worth around £17million.
Sky Germany reports that Leipzig are responding to interest from the Premier League by preparing a huge contract for Diomande. The teenager is already tied down until 2030 but the Bundesliga side are keen to protect one of their biggest assets.
Reports indicate that no club has met the valuation Leipzig holds for the winger, which is around £103m (€120m). The 19-year-old's own words dealt another blow to the Reds as he seems keen to stay in Germany.
Diomande said: "My contract here is until 2030, so I have four more years. What’s going to happen afterwards? I don’t know. I am a Leipzig player. I will never forget this opportunity. The media only sees me on the pitch, but the club helped me a lot with my family and my mum. The only thing I can do for them is to give everything on the pitch and this is what I’m trying to do every day."
Reds Star 'Open to Move'
Inter Milan are reportedly leading the race to secure Curtis Jones' signature with the Liverpool academy hero "open" to a Serie A switch. TEAMTalk reports that the midfielder is keen on a move to Italy, as his long-term future at Anfield seems uncertain.
The 25-year-old has just over a year remaining on his current deal and it is understood that contract talks with the Reds hierarchy have stalled. Premier League sides, including Aston Villa and Newcastle, also maintain a strong interest in Jones.
But it is the Serie A giants who have emerged as frontrunners for the midfielder's signature. Contact was first made in January and Inter have since returned to fashion a summer move.
Transfermarkt estimates Jones' value at around £30m (€35m) and the Champions League winner could opt for a move elsewhere to improve his game time.
Arne Slot's side host Brentford at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, with the manager refusing to confirm if Mohamed Salah will be included in the starting XI. The 33-year-old hasn't minced his words ahead of his Anfield farewell, sparking some calls for him to be left out.
The Liverpool icon has had his run-ins with Slot this season, but the Dutch boss refuses to allow this to derail his team selection for Sunday. Slot said: "I don't think it is that important what I feel about it. What is important is that we qualify for the Champions League on Sunday and I prepare Mo and the whole team in the best possible way for the game. I was very disappointed after our loss against Villa because a win would have given us qualification for the Champions League which we didn't get. Now there's one game to go which is a vital one for us as a club. We both want what's best for the club, we both want the club to be successful and that's the main aim."
