RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande has confirmed he rejected a move to Chelsea at the beginning of 2025.
The Ivorian was snapped up by Leganes on a free transfer in January last year, but he confirmed that he could have easily made the switch to Stamford Bridge instead:
“A lot of people told me I absolutely had to play for Chelsea. Then I stopped everything and made a decision for myself. I knew the president of Leganes; he had helped with my move to the USA. Suddenly, I was faced with a choice: Leganes or Chelsea? It was risky, but luckily, it was the right decision.”
“I think patience is very important in football. It’s not always just about money. If you play well, it will come naturally. I’m young; I need to play to increase my sporting value, to improve. And I wouldn’t get that on the bench.”
Diomande’s career has exploded over the last 12 months
The teenager made his senior debut for Leganes against Real Madrid last March, and he impressed enough to secure himself a €20m (£17m) move to Leipzig in July.
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Diomande has continued to progress at an incredible rate, impressing for both Leipzig in the Bundesliga and for the Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations.
Leipzig now value the forward at around €100m (£87m), with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Bayern Munich all interested in securing his services. For his part, Diomande has said that he is “absolutely happy” to stay where he is this summer.
The player has likened himself to a Real Madrid superstar
Speaking to Transfermarkt back in October, Diomande said that Kylian Mbappe is his role model, but he believes his game has more similarities to the Frenchman’s club teammate:
“I think Vinicius Junior is the best player in comparison.”
Diomande hasn’t reached the level of Vinicius yet, but his development has been rapid, and there is no telling where his career could go.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here