RB Leipzig have an opening valuation of €130 million ($150m) for star winger Yan Diomande this summer, sources have told ESPN.
Diomande, 19, has been linked with a move to Liverpool, while Paris Saint-Germain are also reportedly interested. But RB Leipzig are in no rush to let him leave, and don’t face any financial pressure to accept offers below that threshold this summer.
Sources have told ESPN it would take a remarkable bid in that region to open negotiations with Leipzig.
Diomande has been a breakout star in the Bundesliga this season after his move to Leipzig last summer from Leganes for a fee of €20m ($23m).
Read more:USMNT’s Chris Richards on bench for Conference League final
This term, he’s helped Leipzig qualify for next season’s Champions League, while contributing 12 goals and nine assists in the German top flight. He was also crowned Bundesliga Rookie of the Season, following in the footsteps of Michael Olise, Harry Kane, Florian Wirtz and Jude Bellingham.
He is on a contract through to 2030 and Leipzig could open negotiations with him to extend that deal this summer amid interest from elsewhere in Europe. Diomande’s immediate priority is playing for the Ivory Coast in the upcoming World Cup where his stock is expected to further rise.
Talking to a small group of media about his future on May 13, Diomande said: “My contract here is until 2030, so I have four more years. What’s going to happen afterwards? I don’t know. I am a Leipzig player.
Read more:Mosquitoes may learn to tolerate, or even prefer, the smell of DEET
“I will never forget this opportunity. It’s not only about playing football, but the club helped me a lot off the pitch. The media only sees me on the pitch, but the club helped me a lot with my family and my mom. The only thing I can do for them is to give everything on the pitch and this is what I’m trying to do every day.
“Nobody knew me before and €20m is a lot. It was a big risk for them and I thank them for that. And like I said today, we are in a good way and it’s not over. We need to keep going, keep working hard.”
Sources have told ESPN Diomande is committed to Leipzig, but he is also aware that if the German side receive a huge offer for his services, then he could be ready for a summer move.
Read more:Tottenham advancing in deal to sign Andy Robertson – sources
He has seen the speculation and uses it as motivation to get even better.
“I don’t [really] think about this kind of thing because I’m trying to be focused on the pitch and because my job is playing football so [his representatives] gonna take care of everything outside of the pitch,” he said. “So this kind of things give me a lot of motivation to see a lot of clubs speaking about you and stuff like this, but I’m focused.”
