Yan Diomande transfer statement changes everything: ‘I’ve loved them since I was young’

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Yan Diomande has released a bombshell transfer statement that threatens to change Liverpool’s summer transfer plans.

The RB Leipzig winger has exploded onto the scene over the course of the last year, becoming one of Europe’s most coveted young players after scoring 13 goals and creating 10 more in the Bundesliga last season.

The German side are determined to retain the 19-year-old, but after a stellar campaign interest is building in him, with Liverpool and PSG both targeting the Ivory Coast international.

Speaking ahead of Thursday’s friendly with France, Diomande dropped a hint as to where he sees his future.

“It's a team I've loved since I was little, but I'm not thinking about the future, I'm staying focused on the World Cup, we'll see what happens after that,” he said in comments relayed by L’Equipe.

Diomande backtracks on Liverpool statement

Diomande had previously declared himself open to Liverpool due to his father’s love of the club, telling BILD in March: “I want to play at Anfield, I want to play for Liverpool. I’m a big fan of Liverpool.

“I’m a big fan of Liverpool because my father’s dream is to see me play at Anfield. So that’s my dream. You know, to fulfil my father’s dream is a dream for me too.”

Despite Diomande’s latest declarations, there is a long way to go before any deal is made official, and Liverpool are showing no signs of backing down in a race that could cost them in excess of €100 million.

Indeed, Sky Sport Deutschland confirmed on Tuesday that Diomande has not committed his future to either PSG or Liverpool, indicating that the race is still very much open.

However, Leipzig’s leaders, including former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp in his capacity of head of global soccer at Red Bull, are determined to retain him for at least another season.

Why Diomande is a precious talent

Diomande’s attraction is obvious because of his playing style, which is outside the norm of many modern-day stars. His ability to dribble and commit defenders makes him a game-breaking talent, and the fact that there are few wingers capable of playing in such a manner makes him a valuable commodity.

“If you're always telling people to play with one or two touches, what does a player do in a one-on-two or three-on-three situation, in a tight space? Does he just throw the ball away? Because young players don't know how to dribble enough anymore,” Javier Pastore, the agent of Enzo Fernandez, lamented in September. This ability makes Diomande doubly precious.

PSG’s interest in the winger is underlined by SciSports’ analysis, which shows that he is very similar in playing style to Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, three players already on the books of the Parc des Princes club.

Barcola, though, is unsettled and could move on in the summer, with Liverpool one of the sides primarily monitoring the evolution of his situation. Should PSG sign Diomande, it could open the door for the France international to move to Anfield.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are interested in a winger of Diomande’s stature as they failed to replace Luis Diaz after he was sold to Bayern Munich last summer.

With Leipzig’s stance firm, though, it will take an enormous bid or a dramatic change for the teenager to be on his way this summer.