Yan Diomande missed RB Leipzig's test match and training camp departure on 1-2 August, officially due to illness, while negotiations with Real Madrid continue.
Real Madrid's latest bid is reported at €105 million by German outlets and €120 million by The New York Times; Leipzig are holding out for at least €120 million, with some sources citing a €130 million valuation.
Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi is also not traveling to the camp, with Leipzig confirming he is in talks with another club, widely reported as Villarreal.
Diomande scored 12 goals and provided 9 assists in 33 Bundesliga matches last season, and featured in all four of Ivory Coast's World Cup games before elimination by Norway.
Yan Diomande did not board the plane when RB Leipzig departed for their pre-season training camp in Saalfelden, Austria, on Sunday. The club said the 19-year-old Ivorian winger was suffering from an infection, but his absence is widely seen as a direct consequence of the ongoing negotiations with Real Madrid. Head coach Martin Demichelis told Sky Germany that Diomande was "genuinely ill", yet the timing, just as the two clubs haggle over a fee, has raised eyebrows. Madrid, according to Sky reporter Florian Plettenberg, are surprised the talks have stalled.
“As soon as he has recovered, he will follow.”
Real Madrid have lodged an improved bid, reported at €105 million by German outlets and €120 million by The New York Times, which says the offer includes a €100 million fixed portion. Leipzig are holding out for at least €120 million, with some sources citing a €130 million valuation. Diomande has no release clause, giving the Bundesliga side leverage. The Athletic reported last week that an agreement was expected after Paris Saint-Germain withdrew from the race.
Diomande joined Leipzig just a year ago from Spanish second-division club CD Leganés for €20 million. In his debut Bundesliga season he scored 12 goals and added 9 assists in 33 appearances, missing only one league match, while Leipzig finished third and qualified for the Champions League. He also played every minute of Ivory Coast's World Cup campaign, which ended in the last 32 against Norway. Earlier in the summer, Liverpool made an approach close to €100 million, but Diomande's preference has always been Madrid.
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A sale at the figures being discussed would make Diomande Leipzig's record departure, surpassing the €90 million Manchester City paid for Josko Gvardiol in 2023 and the €76.5 million plus add-ons Manchester United sent for Benjamin Sekso in 2025.
Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi is not traveling to Austria either. Leipzig confirmed the 34-year-old Hungarian is "currently in talks with another club" and will not join the camp. Spanish side Villarreal are widely named as the destination. Gulacsi has spent 11 years at Leipzig and was set to lose his starting spot for the new season.
While the transfer sagas unfold, Leipzig's squad got a morale boost with a 4-0 friendly win over third-tier SC Verl on Saturday. Goals from Lukas Klostermann (60+1), Ridle Baku (71), Ezechiel Banzuzi (84) and Conrad Harder (120) came in a match played over two 60-minute halves. It was a sharper performance after laboured 2-1 and 1-0 wins against VSG Altglienicke and FC Ingolstadt.
Real Madrid are rebuilding under Jose Mourinho, back for a second spell 13 years after his exit. The club has already signed Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella and Carlos Espi, and is also working on a deal for Manchester City's Rodri. Adding Diomande would be another statement piece in an aggressive window.
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The 19-year-old Ivorian winger did not travel to Austria after reporting ill, while Leipzig and Madrid remain apart on valuation.
AI text based on reports by N-tv, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Der Tagesspiegel and other publishers. Published .