Image Credits: Imago Images
By now, most Liverpool fans aware that the club holds some form of interest in RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande.
The 19-year-old Ivory Coast international has taken the German top flight by storm since his €20 million move from Leganés last summer, registering seven goals and four assists in just 16 appearances for Leipzig. His explosive form has sparked a transfer battle involving Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain, but Diomande’s personal affinity for Liverpool could prove decisive.
“I want to play at Anfield. I want to play for Liverpool. I’m a Liverpool fan. My father dreams of seeing me play at Anfield,” Diomande said on a TikTok livestream last week.
Leipzig have slapped a hefty valuation on their teenage sensation, with reports suggesting a fee between €60m-€100m (£52m-£87m) would be required to secure his signature. Such a price tag would make Diomande one of the most expensive teenagers in football history.
However, it seems that the Bundesliga side will not roll out the red carpet for a sale. RB Leipzig managing director for sport Marcel Schäfer has asserted that there is no one at the front of the queue for the Ivory Coast international:
“There isn’t even anyone sitting in the passenger seat. Everyone is sitting in the back seat,” Schäfer said as quoted by Bulinews.
“We saw the data and immediately knew that we had to take a detailed look at the player, both on video and in live matches, and that’s what we did.”
“Our advantage was that we were there before he had even played 200 minutes in the league. We already knew he had the profile we were looking for that summer.”
“We didn’t need to have five conversations about signing him because the profile was clear. It was a 100 percent match from our side,” Schäfer stressed.
While a January move appears unlikely given Leipzig’s depth in the wide positions and Liverpool’s preference for summer business, the groundwork is being laid for a blockbuster transfer saga. Leipzig’s recent signing of Suleiman Sani from Slovakian side Trencin for €5-7 million suggests they are already planning for life after Diomande – regardless of what is said in the public domain
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