Man Utd, Liverpool ‘Learn Timeline’ for $115 Million Transfer Starlet

Yan Diomande’s future has become a little clearer amid competing interest from two Premier League giants.

A precedent has already been set. | Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Manchester United, Liverpool and any other clubs monitoring 19-year-old Yan Diomande may only be successful in signing the RB Leipzig winger this summer if they are willing to meet a price tag of around $115.3 million (€100 million, £87 million).

Diomande has emerged as one of the top new soccer talents anywhere in Europe, recording 19 goals and assists across all competitions so far this season—his first at senior level.

It has naturally attracted interest from larger clubs always on the lookout for the next big thing, but Sky Sport Germany has reported that Leipzig are likely to sell other players before cashing in on Diomande. The player’s contract to 2030 also puts the Bundesliga side in a strong position.

Center back Castello Lukeba, tentatively linked with Real Madrid and Liverpool in recent months, is the highest-priced asset most likely to be sold in 2026. Leipzig could feasibly bring in around $230.8 million during the summer without selling Diomande, factoring in an exit for Lukeba, Antonio Nusa and other players currently loaned out—including striker Loïs Openda.

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Yan Diomande Transfer More Likely in 2027

Yan Diomande has attracted extensive interest from across Europe. | Ronny HARTMANN/AFP/Getty Images

Diomande, set to go to his first World Cup this summer with Ivory Coast, is “not unsellable,” but only if an offer that matches the enormous, largely prohibitive, price tag comes Leipzig’s way.

A more likely path than heading straight for a transfer at the end of this season could see his future follow the precedent set by Benjamin Šeško, now at Manchester United.

Šeško was commanding interest in the summer of 2024 off the back of an impressive debut campaign with Leipzig that saw him score 18 goals in all competition. However, the Slovenian instead reached an agreement with the club over a new contract on improved terms, with an understanding that he would be allowed to move on for an acceptable fee a year later instead.

Benjamin Šeško has begun thriving for Man Utd. | Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images

Manchester United eventually struck a $98.6 million deal for the player in August 2025.

That would put Diomande on a timeline to be sold next year instead. Sky in Germany notes plans for Leipzig to reward the teenager for his breakout with a “significant financial boost” in a contract adjustment. But retaining Diomande would likely only be for “one more season.”

A sale is “expected no later than 2027.” Of course, that could all change if a club goes big and throws down the full $115.3 million for Diomande this summer, but most of Europe’s leading teams have other priorities—like Manchester United in midfield and Liverpool in defense—and may not be in the market for player in his price range until 12 months further down the line.

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