Hype for Nigerian rising star – Bundesliga giants jostle for position in Germany

Yan Diomande has quickly established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s brightest young talents. In just 15 competitive appearances for RB Leipzig, the 19-year-old Ivorian has already netted seven goals and supplied four assists — an impressive return for someone with very limited professional experience. After a slow start in his first seven league matches without a goal contribution, Diomande has exploded in form, scoring or assisting nine times across his last six Bundesliga games.

Unsurprisingly, this surge in performance has caught the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. According to Sky, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham are all keeping a close eye on the youngster. While interest is reportedly strong, no formal moves have been made, and Bayern Munich are also said to be intrigued by Diomande, though they aren’t actively pursuing him. The reason is largely financial: Leipzig are demanding around 100 million euros for a player whose contract runs until 2030, with no release clause in place.

Bayern, for their part, already have plenty of attacking options. With Lennart Karl’s rapid development and Jamal Musiala set to return, splashing out a huge sum on Diomande wouldn’t align with the club’s current strategy. Just a few months ago, Diomande was virtually unknown outside Spain. Prior to joining Leipzig, he had only featured in ten professional matches for CD Leganes, and his transfermarkt.de value was a modest 1.5 million euros. Even Leipzig teammate David Raum admitted in an interview with Sky that he was initially surprised by the 20 million euros investment in the young forward.

What makes Diomande so special is his dynamism and dribbling ability, combined with a lethal finishing instinct. While a January move seems unlikely, Leipzig could command a hefty fee from English clubs next summer, particularly as teams like Liverpool may be looking to plan for a future replacement for Mohamed Salah. The Ivorian’s rise is only just beginning, and the next chapter of his career promises to be just as exciting as the last.