Managing director for sport Marcel Schafer said that Leipzig "hold all the cards" Selim Sudheimer/Getty ImagesJune 29, 2026 Updated RB Leipzig managing director for sport Marcel Schaefer has dismissed reports that Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande will leave the club this summer.The Athletic reported on Sunday that Diomande’s preference is to join Paris Saint-Germain and play under Luis Enrique if he leaves Leipzig this summer. The French club are yet to make a formal offer, but Schaefer has responded to the prospect of the 19-year-old leaving the club by insisting that the player is not for sale.“Our clear intention is: Yan Diomande will play for RB Leipzig next year” Schafer said, speaking to German newspaper Bild. “And we’re not backing down from that! We know what we have in him. Of course, if Yan continues like this, the time will come when we give him the opportunity to take the next step – but not this year.”
Liverpool had previously expressed a willingness to put forward a package approaching €100million (£86.8m; $115m) for Diomande. That offer did not match Leipzig’s valuation, with the German club holding out for an offer of around €130m, and was rejected last week. Liverpool are now expected to focus on other targets.Diomande joined Leipzig in the summer of 2025, having arrived from Spanish side Leganes for €20m. But after a hugely successful debut season in the Bundesliga — and impressive performances at this summer’s World Cup — he has been the subject of significant interest from major clubs across Europe.“In principle, we still have a four-year contract and hold all the cards,” Schaefer added. “Therefore, the current developments are primarily a recognition of his performance. Nothing more and nothing less. And if we can’t find a solution, then we can’t – but he’ll still have a four-year contract. So, to reiterate: Yan Diomande will remain a Leipzig player.”Diomande and Ivory Coast continue their World Cup on Tuesday, when they will face Norway in a last-32 tie in Arlington, Texas.Should Diomande leave, he will become Leipzig’s biggest sale, far exceeding the fees paid for Benjamin Sekso by Manchester United in 2025 (€76.5m plus add-ons) or the €90m that Manchester City paid the club to sign Josko Gvardiol in 2023.
