RB Leipzig chief says he wouldn’t sell Yan Diomande

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Liverpool’s search for a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah has led them to one of the most exciting teenagers in European football, and the race to sign him is becoming more competitive and more complicated with each passing week.Yan Diomande, the 19-year-old Ivory Coast forward currently lighting up the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, has emerged as Liverpool’s primary target for the summer transfer window, and the numbers behind his debut season in Germany explain exactly why Arne Slot’s side are so determined to get this deal done.Diomande signed for Leipzig for just €20 million from Spanish side CD Leganés in the summer of 2025, having previously developed at DME Academy in the United States before breaking into La Liga with 10 appearances and two goals for Leganés.In less than a season at Leipzig, his estimated market value has exploded to €100 million, a fivefold return that underlines just how dramatically his stock has risen.He has scored 12 Bundesliga goals this season from an expected goals figure of just 6.71, which marks him out as a genuinely world-class finisher who is significantly outperforming his underlying numbers.He has added six assists in the league, averages a FotMob rating of 7.67, recorded a top speed of 36.3 kilometres per hour, placing him in the top 1% of Bundesliga players for pace, and has completed over 100 successful dribbles this season at a 60% success rate.He won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month award in both February and March 2026, and has also contributed at international level, scoring one goal at the 2025 AFCON and two in World Cup 2026 qualifying for Ivory Coast.The player’s own feelings about a potential move to Anfield have been made public, and they could not be clearer.Diomande has stated: “I want to play for Liverpool… my father’s dream is to see me at Anfield.” Those words have intensified the speculation considerably and confirmed that Liverpool would not face resistance from the player himself if a deal were to be agreed.Recent reports confirm that Liverpool and PSG are the two frontrunners, with Liverpool having already held multiple meetings with Diomande’s representatives.Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Tottenham have all registered interest at varying levels, but it is Liverpool and PSG who have moved furthest in concrete terms.Despite all of that momentum, Liverpool received a significant reality check on Friday when Oliver Mintzlaff, the Red Bull boss and chairman of Leipzig’s supervisory board, delivered his most direct public statement yet on Diomande’s future, and it was not what Arne Slot’s recruitment team wanted to hear.Speaking to Sky Germany, via quotes from Liverpool Echo, Mintzlaff was unambiguous about his personal position on the matter. “I can say: If I were sporting director, I wouldn’t sell this young player, who hasn’t even completed a full season with us,” he said.“No matter what price is being asked.

I believe he’s a player who can still develop further, because he’s still very young. And he can certainly become more expensive.”The acknowledgement that major clubs are circling was present in his words, but so was the firm intention to resist.

“Of course, there are other clubs where players also want to take the next step — FC Bayern is one of them, but also clubs from England and Spain,” he added.“But we have to expect that a player, even if he delivers outstanding performances here, doesn’t leave again after just one year.”“Therefore, I can only recommend to the management that they keep this player with us for the coming season.”“And then we’ll have to see how he develops.”Mintzlaff’s final point carried the clearest message of all to anyone hoping to prise Diomande away from Germany this summer.“We want to play in the Champions League.”“And that’s naturally an argument for such a young player, to then deliver what he’s shown in a second season and potentially develop further — also at an international level. So we have many good arguments.”“And the best argument is a long-term contract.”“Therefore, I’m completely relaxed about the whole matter.”Leipzig currently hold no active release clause in Diomande’s contract, which runs until June 2030, and are working to insert one, reportedly set at between €70 million and €80 million, as part of a new deal designed to retain him until 2027.For Liverpool, the message from Leipzig is clear: this will not be straightforward, and it will not be cheap.