Yan Diomande is a primary target for Liverpool this summer, but had things gone differently, he could have already been coming up against the Reds in the Premier League
10:46, 29 May 2026
Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig) looks on during match day 33 1.Bundesliga, RB Leipzig and St. Pauli, Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany on May 09 2026. (Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Yan Diomande is being targeted by Liverpool this summer(Image: Getty Images)
Yan Diomande has revealed he held transfer talks with Chelsea as the RB Leipzig winger is targeted by Liverpool this summer.
The 19-year-old looks to be a primary target for the Reds, who will be looking for a replacement for Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian ended his nine-year spell at Anfield.
Diomande has caught the eye of plenty of clubs across Europe after a superb debut season in Germany, having only made the move to Leipzig from Spanish side Leganes last summer. The teenager scored 13 goals and recorded 10 assists in 36 appearances, which has led to Liverpool casting its eye over him.
Had things turned out differently earlier in his career though, Diomande could have already been carving out a career in the Premier League with one of the Reds’ rivals.
In a new interview with So Foot, the Ivory Coast international has revealed he had trials with Chelsea, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, and even held transfer talks with former Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino before he eventually landed at Leganes.
“So, I had trials, first in Scotland, if I remember correctly, Glasgow Rangers,” he said (via Sport Witness). Then at Chelsea, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Olympiacos. They all went well on the pitch. At Chelsea, I even spoke with Mauricio Pochettino.
Mauricio Pochettino
Yan Diomande has revealed he spoke to Mauricio Pochettino about joining Chelsea(Image: Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images))
“But then, I don’t know what happened, it didn’t work out. So, after my last trial in Greece, I left my agent and told him ‘that’s it, we’re done.’ I called the president of Leganes and went there to sign a professional contract. I was still a minor, but I was approaching 18.”
Diamonde could be on the move again this summer, with Liverpool’s interest well documented, although Paris Saint-Germain is also said to have held talks.
The winger is widely reported to be valued at around $117 million, although a player-plus-cash deal involving Harvey Elliott has been touted.
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Addressing the speculation over his future, Diomande said: “I’m not going to say Paris, Liverpool or Real (Madrid). But it would be a good idea to play for big clubs. Everyone has ambitions and every day you want to go higher.
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“So, it was Leganes, today I’m a Leipzig player. I’m not going to hide my desires or my dreams. I want to play for a big club, of course.”
He added: “It depends, huh. Football is my life, and my life is about taking risks.
“We’re alive, but we never know what might happen. I am African, I am a believer. I believe in God, I work. Whatever the club, I am ready to fight every day to win my place, to give my best. That’s what I’ve always done. That’s what I know how to do, me.”