Real Madrid would like to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig, but an agreement between the two clubs still appears to be a long way off.
According to a report by Sky, serious differences remain, particularly over the transfer fee. The Saxony club are reportedly demanding €120 million for the 19-year-old winger, a figure Los Blancos are not yet prepared to put on the table.
That has reportedly left talks between the two clubs at a standstill for around 24 hours. Leipzig are even said to have ignored the latest offer from Madrid altogether because it clearly fell short of their financial expectations.
Even so, a transfer is not off the table. After it had initially looked like Diomande would travel to Austria with the Bundesliga club for their training camp on Saturday, Leipzig confirmed shortly before the friendly against SC Verl, which RB won 4-0 against the third-tier side, that the 19-year-old was absent due to an infection.
Getty ImagesYan Diomande has “mentally already said goodbye” to RB Leipzig
New coach Martín Demichelis then insisted Diomande was “really ill” and added: “If he is fit, he has to come. If he is ill, he is ill.” Later in the afternoon, RB announced that the 19-year-old would “join them later in Saalfelden as soon as he has recovered”. According to Sky , however, the player had “mentally already said goodbye to Leipzig”.
Last summer, Diomande joined Leipzig from CD Leganes for €20 million and signed a contract until 2030. He delivered 15 goals and 11 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions.
For Ivory Coast at the World Cup, Diomande was a regular starter. In four tournament appearances, he recorded one assist and caught the eye with a string of strong performances. The Ivorians were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Norway in the round of 32.