Manchester United are monitoring RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande ahead of the summer transfer window opening at the end of the season.
RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande is on Manchester United's radar
RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande is on Manchester United's radar(Image: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Manchester United spent the January transfer window keeping their powder dry as they stuck to their long-term approach to signings. Ruben Amorim's departure at the beginning of the month ensured this was an easier sell than it might have otherwise been, with few expecting an interim head coach to let loose in the transfer market.
It was also a decision that became more palatable with the fans as Michael Carrick started to get a tune out of the players at his disposal. Three straight victories over Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham have reduced calls for reinforcements, as have the returns of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad and Noussair Mazraoui from AFCON.
However, the Reds did flirt with the possibility of making one major reinforcement. Antoine Semenyo was the man in demand during the opening stages of the window and United were willing to spend £65m to bring him to Old Trafford.
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In the end, the Ghana international chose to move to Manchester City. That decision meant the transfer funds were locked away for another few months. But while United chose not to move for an alternative forward in January after missing out on Semenyo, this does not mean the Reds have abandoned the hunt entirely.
It is understood RB Leipzig left winger Yan Diomande is on the Reds' radar ahead of the summer transfer window, with Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain also monitoring the youngster. Diomande only moved to the Bundesliga club last summer but major European teams are already starting to sniff around the forward.
The 19-year-old has bagged eight goals and six assists for Leipzig this season and having broken into the Ivory Coast's national team in October, he has already scored three goals for his country, including one against Burkina Faso at AFCON.
It was while Diomande was at the tournament in Morocco that he earned the seal of approval from Amad. Having enjoyed a rapid rise, United's winger has forged a good friendship with the teenager which could become useful at the end of the season.
When asked about Diomande, Amad said: "We’re very close off the pitch, so that makes things easier on the pitch. If I have the opportunity to pass to him, I pass to him; if he has the opportunity to pass to me, he passes to me.
"Yan is a very good player, everyone knows that." While it may seem trivial to some, having a player in your camp with an existing friendship with a transfer target might well help your cause.
You only have to look back to the summer and Andre Onana's role in bringing Mbeumo to Old Trafford. The goalkeeper worked to convince the former Brentford man United was the right place for his next career move.
Should United pick up the phone for Diomande in the summer and the forward wishes to seek advice, he may well speak to Amad. Carrick might not be the man in the hot seat by then, but the job he is doing so far should make any sell a little easier by the summer.
Champions League football might be a must for Diomande in the 2026/27 season and there is no guarantee either United or Leipzig will be able to offer it to him. But if Carrick does manage to turn this good start into qualification for the competition, the Ivorian may be even more inclined to sign for the Reds should they make an approach.
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