Jay-Z agency row threatens Man Utd and Liverpool’s summer transfer plans

Robin Bairner

• 26 Feb 2026 08:30 CST
• 6 min read

News

Manchester United and Liverpool find themselves in the crossfire in a bizarre battle involving Jay-Z’s Roc Nation agency and former Leeds United winger Max Gradel that threatens to undermine a prospective summer move for Yan Diomande.

RB Leipzig winger Diomande is poised to be one of biggest transfer stories of the summer – but only if a messy situation behind the scenes is clarified.

The Bundesliga side hope to recoup more than €100 million for the 19-year-old, but a dispute between agencies threatens to derail the whole process, The Telegraph reports.

Yan Diomande embroiled in Roc Nation confusion: What’s going on?

Diomande seemed to have teed himself up for a summer transfer when it was announced following the close of the winter window that he had changed agency to Roc Nation.

Jay-Z’s stable includes players such as Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior and Arsenal’s Gabriel Diomande, but while Roc Nation’s website has the biography of the Ivory Coast international beside such players, there is a dispute as to who is legally allowed to represent him.

Maxidel Management, which was formed by former Leeds star Max Gradel, claims that the RB Leipzig star is still their player.

It announced a contract extension with the player via Instagram on 1 January and has since released a statement:

“It is therefore with great surprise that we are now discovering that an an engagement may have been made in parallel with another agency, outside of any proper procedure and without respect for our contractual rights.

“In light of this situation, Maxidel Management will take all necessary measures to protect its rights and defend its interests through the appropriate legal channels.”

Liverpool and Man Utd caught in the Diomande crossfire

Both Liverpool and Manchester United will be monitoring developments closely as this agency row will affect their ability to sign the player.

The issue needs to be resolved before Diomande leaves RB Leipzig. The process to discern who can legally represent the player may be a prolonged one. Maxidel is saying that it is prepared to go all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

This situation now threatens to undermine what has been an excellent debut season for the Ivoirian in Leipzig. He has scored eight Bundesliga goals and generated six assists in 22 games, which has piqued the interest of the Premier League sides and prompted his side to put a €100m price tag on his head.

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