Man Utd & Liverpool in Summer Battle for £80m Starlet Yan Diomande

Champions League rivals Manchester United and Liverpool will go head-to-head this summer for one of Europe’s brightest talents, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal. 

And the Red Devils will hope in form striker Benjamin Sesko can make the difference in their pursuit of Yan Diomande, according to sources close to the situation. 

The 19-year-old Ivory Coast international is on the most wanted list of both North West rivals while fellow Premier Leaguers Newcastle United are the likely makeweights in a three-way battle. 

Liverpool see dynamite Diomande as replacement for abdicating Egyptian King Mohamed Salah, who will leave Anfield as a free agent at the end of the season.

However, the prized left winger is a United target to provide ammunition for former RB Leipzig team mate Sesko, Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha.

Diomande, valued around £80million, arrived in the Bundesliga from Spanish club Leganes round about the time Sesko was completing his move to Old Trafford.

But the Slovenian marksman has plenty of friends still at Red Bull club Leipzig and will ask them to convince the teenager his preferred choice should be a move to the Theatre of Dreams.

Leipzig paid Leganes £20million for his services last year, much to the dismay and embarrassment of Glasgow Rangers.

The African ace, who made a La Liga debut against Real Madrid aged 18, had a brief trial with the Ibrox club and even appeared in a B team game.

However, Rangers declined to offer him a contract and a year later the wonderkid, via the United States, joined Leipzig.

Bright Spark On PL Radar

The highlight of his career in Germany, where he is contracted until 2027, was an 18-minute second half hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt last December.

That quickfire treble ensured he became the second youngest player in Bundesliga history to achieve the feat. 

This season he has scored 10 times and achieved six assists in 26 appearances to attract the attention of potential suitors.