RB Leipzig publicly maintains that Yan Diomande is not for sale this summer, but that there is reported to an acceptance behind the scenes that he will be sold ahead of the 2026-27 season
10:33, 26 Jun 2026Updated 10:33, 26 Jun 2026
Yan Diomande warms up
Yan Diomande is wanted by Liverpool(Image: ©Icon Sportswire All Rights Reserved)
RB Leipzig's internal stance on the prospect of selling Yan Diomande this summer is reported to be different to the public message that the club is sending out.
The Bundesliga outfit publicly maintains that Diomande is not for sale, but the Daily Mail says that there is an acceptance within the club that he will be sold ahead of the 2026-27 season. Liverpool is leading the race to sign the 19-year-old, with Paris Saint-Germain also competing to land the highly rated youngster.
Liverpool is in serious need of quality in the wide areas, while PSG is interested in Diomande amid the uncertainty surrounding Bradley Barcola's future. It was reported earlier this week that Diomande's camp was applying pressure on Leipzig to accept Liverpool's offer for the young winger.
Liverpool is willing to pay €100 million ($113 million) plus €20 million ($23 million) in add-ons to sign Diomande, and although Leipzig wants to wait until after the World Cup to see if it is possible to attain a bigger fee, Bild said that Roc Nation – the agency that represents Diomande – was pressuring Leipzig to accept Liverpool's proposal.
Diomande seemingly dealt a blow to the Reds' chances of signing him earlier this month, after declaring that he has "loved" Paris Saint-Germain since he was a child and added that it would be a "pleasure" for him to join the club.
Diomande said: "Paris Saint-Germain is a team I’ve loved since I was a child. My father supports Paris Saint-Germain, and it’s a team I admire as a football fan.
"It would be a pleasure for me to come and play at Paris with one of the biggest clubs... It’s always pleasure to come here also because with French being spoken, I think adapting wouldn’t be difficult. But why not?
Diomande in action for Ivory Coast
Diomande in action for Ivory Coast(Image: Getty Images)
“I remain focused on the World Cup. After that, the clubs will sort things out between themselves and then we’ll see what happens next.”
However, despite those comments, Liverpool seems to be leading the race to sign him. Interestingly, Diomande previously said that his father was a Liverpool fan.
"I want to play at Anfield, I want to play for Liverpool," Diomande said earlier this year. "I’m a big fan of Liverpool. I’m a big fan of Liverpool because my father’s dream is to see me play at Anfield. So that’s my dream.
"You know, to fulfil my father’s dream is a dream for me too.”
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Diomande later slightly rowed back on those comments about his steadfast desire to play for Liverpool, although he did maintain that it was his dad's dream for him to play at Anfield.
Diomande registered 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions for Leipzig this season after joining the Bundesliga club from Leganes in 2025.