Chelsea have previously shown an interest in RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande.
A winger linked with a move to Liverpool has revealed that he’s already turned down a move to the Premier League.
The Reds are among the clubs reportedly keeping tabs on Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig. The Ivory Coast international has fired nine goals and seven assists in 25 appearances since joining Leipzig last summer.
Diomande is only playing his second season as a professional, having spent the 2024-25 campaign at CD Leganes. Beforehand, the teenager had several trials - with one being Chelsea.
However, Diomande admitted that he turned down the Stamford Bridge side because he is not driven by money. Yet he did admit he does see himself moving on from Leipzig in the future.
Diomande told BILD: “It was a difficult time. I felt like for many people, it was all about money. 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.
“I don’t make these decisions alone. One thing I can promise: I’ll never argue with my club! Of course, I probably won’t end my career here. When the time comes, we’ll talk. But if I stay here this summer, I’ll be absolutely happy.”
Diomande has made hurtling progress and is likely surpassing expectations at Leipzig this season.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who is head of global soccer at Red Bull, was part of the process to recruit Diomande.Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff said: “We didn’t need to have five conversations about signing him because the profile was clear. It was a 100 per cent match from our side. It was clear to us that if we had the chance, we would go for it. When we started negotiations with Leganés, they said there was such high competition for the player that we needed to pay that amount if we wanted him.
“Leganés were clear, honest and transparent. It was a huge amount given where the player was at the time, but we knew he was our number-one favourite. We wanted the player, even if we had to pay a little more than many expected. We didn’t care, because it was an ideal situation. We were even in touch with Jürgen Klopp and Mario Gomez, who saw the data and video clips, and everybody said ‘go, go, go.’”
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