Diomande tells Liverpool to wait as £100m target focuses on World Cup glory

Yan Diomande has told Liverpool their pursuit of him must wait, with the RB Leipzig winger insisting his entire focus remains on Ivory Coast’s historic run at the 2026 World Cup — even as transfer talks between the clubs continue.

The Elephants sealed their place in the last 32 on Thursday by defeating Curacao 2-0, with Diomande providing two assists for Nicolas Pepe. Speaking after the final whistle, the 19-year-old was unambiguous about his priorities.

“Right now, I don’t know. I am not thinking about my future after the World Cup,” he said. “I am trying to put all my energy into the World Cup and we will see what is going to happen after that. I can say nothing about.”

It is the second time during the tournament that Diomande has deflected questions about his future. After Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador on 15 June, he acknowledged Premier League interest but left the detail to his representatives. “A move to the Premier League? I am an RB Leipzig player, but why not? My agents will sort that out,” he said.

Those agents, Roc Nation Sports, have been canvassing Europe’s leading clubs for months. Liverpool are understood to have signalled a willingness to pay up to £86m for the winger, and while Paris Saint-Germain have also registered interest, the Reds’ pursuit is considered the most advanced. Reports of a second Liverpool bid being submitted on Thursday were wrongly attributed to German publication Bild; talks between the two clubs are, however, ongoing.

Leipzig remain reluctant sellers. The Bundesliga club acquired Diomande from Leganes for approximately £17m last year and are keen to open contract renewal discussions with his camp rather than sanction a sale. Managing director Marcel Schafer made Leipzig’s position plain in comments to Bild earlier this month: “We don’t have to say yes to any sum. Yan has no exit clause. That means we sit in the driver’s seat and everyone else in the back seat.”

Industry sources suggest a figure in the region of £112m could be enough to bring Leipzig to the negotiating table, though no such offer has been formally tabled. For now, Diomande’s attention — and Liverpool’s patience — will be tested by how far Ivory Coast can travel in their first-ever World Cup knockout campaign.