Yan Diomande has made his final choice, but it is not at all certain that he will get his wish.
Yan Diomande has made his final decision on which club he wants to sign for this summer – amid interest from Liverpool, PSG, Arsenal and a surprising fourth club.
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The 19-year-old has been highly sought after this summer after an outstanding debut season in the Bundesliga, where he scored 12 goals and had 8 assists. He also represented Ivory Coast in the World Cup, where the Africans were eliminated in the round of 32 against Norway – but Diomande impressed greatly throughout the tournament.
It has long seemed inevitable that Diomande will leave Leipzig in the near future – despite sporting director Marcel Schäfer publicly saying that he is not going anywhere.
PSG and Liverpool, who were both linked with the winger even before the World Cup, are still interested. Arsenal have also thrown themselves into the game after losing Morgan Rogers to Chelsea. According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have already contacted Diomande’s representatives to see if a transfer is possible.
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Now a fourth club has emerged – and it could change everything.
Real Madrid throws itself into the game
On Friday evening, The Athletic reported that Real Madrid – now led by José Mourinho – are in talks with RB Leipzig about the Ivorian. Real have already signed four players since Mourinho returned to the club for a new term, and are also working on signing World Cup winner Rodri from Manchester City.
According to TEAMtalk, Diomande still prefers PSG – the club he has supported since childhood. He has previously stated to French media:
“PSG is a team I’ve loved since I was little. I think my father was a PSG supporter. It’s a team I admire as a football fan.
But the interest from Real Madrid has changed the situation. Now Diomande is said to be open to choosing Real Madrid instead – but only if PSG are unable to agree a transfer fee with Leipzig.
PSG frustration
The Champions League winners have not yet made a bid for the 19-year-old, who is already back in pre-season training after the holidays. According to sources, PSG’s lack of action will be “the biggest source of frustration” for the winger.
Diomande has not spoken publicly about the future, except for a brief comment during the World Cup:
“First and foremost, my dream is to play for my country and make history with them. I no longer have Instagram or TikTok, so I don’t see anything! But I expect to leave the club, of course. I have an agent who takes care of the rest. For me, the most important thing now is to focus on the World Cup with my country.
Now it remains to be seen whether PSG will wake up – or if Real Madrid will hijack the signature.
