06 Jun 2026 14:02:47
I'll start this by saying I think Diomande is a good player with lots of potential but...
If we are gonna have to spend upwards of 100m, it makes more sense to me to spend that on someone like Olise.
Already world class. Prem league experience, fits the position we need and could fit in immediately with no adaption time.
1.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 14:16:52
I don't disagree, Nevada, but one of the ITKs has asserted that the deal for Diomande would be less than we expect.
If Olise is near £150m (possibly £130m+) Diomande could come in at almost half that (just guessing).
To me that would represent value worth a little risk.
2.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 14:18:45
Going to be honest, I really don't think he's a good player.
3.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 14:35:17
Would Olise leave Bayern to come to Liverpool at this point in time?
Agree Diomande is a risk after 1 good season in the Bundesliga though.
I know it's said Iraola doesn't get involved much in transfers, but I'd imagine he isn't going to be given anyone he doesn't want, especially at that price, so if it does happen then in him I trust.
4.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 14:41:15
Diomande will be a great signing who will develop a lot under AI.
5.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 14:48:05
Interested to read Diomande was on trial at Bournemouth whilst Iraola was there, wanted to go all in for him but they couldn't get a deal done and ended up at RB. I expect he's looking forward to working with him if we can get the deal over the line.
6.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 15:07:09
There's a player in Diomande for sure, but it's a tonne of money for a player after one good season in German league.
I haven't placed all my hopes in dreams in getting him, and can understand if club go in different direction if it gets too expensive.
If we get him though, I'll be very happy also.
We just need quality wingers.
7.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 15:32:00
Why would we spend 150+ on Olise when we can get Diomande & Barcola for same price.
8.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 15:44:49
Diomande and his price are the modern equivalent of Mane. Those raw materials are seen as the strongest to shape into a player who can be as good as Sadio.
Iraola is clearly the man to do that.
9.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 15:45:29
I think so much work has been put into securing Diomande that it would be surprising if they just gave up now. We have a good relationship with Red Bull, so all parties must think there must be a deal to be done, else they wouldn't even bother as they know each other so well.
I can't say I have watched enough of him to justify the mooted fee, but his data must be pretty good for both RBL and Liverpool to value him at what they do!
As for Olise, I don't think he's a Liverpool player. Amazing skills. But we desperately need to add grafters this summer.
10.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 15:55:17
You might say that Olise would probably only cost 40 mill more than Diomande, but Olise would also cost three or four times the wages. We could triple Diomande's current wages and he'd still only make less than Chiesa. Olise is also not a touchline winger, which is pretty much what we need right now.
11.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 16:18:35
Just seen something like Diomande is only the 3rd teenager to score 12 Bundesliga goals alongside Haaland and Sancho.
One worked in PL, the other didn't.
Can't really think off the top of my head, but what other Bundesliga success stories have there been in the PL (KDB), and what other league would we say has the highest success rate at a guess for players moving to the PL?
{Ed001's Note - Bobby!! How could you forget we got Bobby <3 from the Bundesliga?}
12.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 16:19:06
PB, I've always seen Olise as more of a wide playmaker than an actual wide forward/winger.
13.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 16:32:55
He pretty much is a right sided 10 rather than a pure winger, it's true.
Plenty of Bundesliga success stories in the prem, surely, JK? Dom is one, Gundogan, Son, Bobby, Aubameyang, Matip, Kompany....
14.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 16:36:19
It's funny seeing people banding around figures like £150m for Olise when we have no idea what he's valued at. I'm sure it would be a high fee regardless, especially for us, as I'm not sure Bayern have a great relationship with us atm, but that could just be rumours. I don't think it would be that high unless he's not for sale in the same way Isak was and we want to purchase no matter the cost, which is dumb.
I do agree that we need to be a lot more shrewd with our business this summer. These 100m+ transfers haven't worked out great for us so far, and I don't think it's in our best interest long term to engage in a lot more of them. There are players as good for better value out there, although I know the market of top talent is drying up a bit. People saying 100m+ for good talent is just how the market is today are a bit naive imo. 100mill today isn't the same as 34mill for Mane in 2016, that's a bit of an overstatement to make 100m look normal like 30m players were normal back then. 100m is still an extortionate amount for a player now and has been for a while.
This might however be a different conversation in 5 years time. Back then in 2016 we could probably afford 3-4 £30m+ players quite easily and it wouldn't have been so abnormal. Are we saying we could quite easily afford 3-4 £100m+ players now? The answer is no, unless the owners have completely lost the plot and forgotten how to run a sustainable business. Last season was a complete anomaly and shouldn't be repeated again for talent that might come good for us, Isak and Wirtz weren't guarantees.
I do think we need up to 5 or even 6 players in this off season whilst getting rid of a few that clearly don't want to be here anymore. We just need to be smart with our business and get a mixture of experienced pros and young talent that is playing at a high level but do not cost double what they're worth. Some will obviously be high fees and I'm all for it, but anywhere near 100m for Diamonde is robbery, same way the fee for Isak was. It also sets us back and means we do less business in other pressing areas.
15.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 17:04:01
Havertz, Firmino, Matip, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Sane, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Kompany, Ballack, Okazaki, Dzeko and Haaland are all examples of players who came from the Bundesliga and went on to be successes, including winning the Premier League as key players in their respective title-winning sides.
Many of them also won the Champions League and 3 of them won the treble with Man City, Gundogan actually being the captain that lifted all 3 trophies. That is just off the top of my head, so I'm sure there are a few more.
16.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 17:09:59
Mk cheers mate.
Possibly answers both my questions then. For any farmers out there looking to play, they can't go far wrong from joining the Bundesliga.
17.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 17:24:24
No worries JK, a fair question. The Bundesliga has a bad rap because of players like Karius, Werner and Sancho.
He never won the league, but Andre Schurrle was also a good player in the Premier League for Chelsea and Fulham. However, the best example of an individual success from the Bundesliga who never won the league is Son Heung-Min, who, through no fault of his own, walked away without a winner's medal, but is arguably one of the top 10 wingers in Prem history in my opinion.
18.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 17:17:47
Get that Davey but the money is irrelevant I wouldn't get into the values as they are never correct anyway.
Ed2 always told us to ignore the finances.
Today's 100million player is yesterday's 50 million player such is the stupid world of football finance.
Baseball is used to these numbers
19.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 16:58:38
Ed001 of course Bobby ??♂️
Pat when I asked I meant was having a rain fart at that moment in time. I wasn't implying there wasn't success stories. Agree on all your shouts.
20.) 06 Jun 2026
06 Jun 2026 17:40:30
Mk, not sure why but my original reply posted after my reply to you.
Wasn't me downplaying the Bundesliga. Just genuinely couldn't think of what players came from there off the top of my head as I was commenting. But, as you and Pat have proven, there's plenty of evidence there.
What a player Son was. One of my favourites outside of Liverpool.
21.) 07 Jun 2026
07 Jun 2026 06:32:46
The club can pay whatever it wants to pay - transfer fees, players' wages, agents' fees etc, etc. As long as the player does the job that the Head Coach wants, that's all that really matters to me. Equating how good a player is with how much a club were prepared to spend buying him is pointless, not only for us but for all clubs.