In an interview with kicker, RB Leipzig’s Marcel Schäfer has commented on the future of winger Yan Diomande.
In recent weeks, there has been increased talk about the future of the Ivorian, who is currently at the Africa Cup of Nations. Leipzig are said to value Diomande at €100m, and clubs are already being linked to him, including Bayern Munich and clubs from the Premier League.
On the 19-year-old and his future, Schäfer said:
“It’s our aim to keep players with us for more than a year, otherwise you can’t achieve consistency. Consistency is a difficult word in football anyway, but I think we can all agree that if you’re together for two or three years these days, you can already talk about consistency. That has to be our goal as RB Leipzig, always aware that we still depend on transfer revenue.
Last summer was all about going “back to our roots” and acting accordingly. We signed players who weren’t the most well-known in the football world at first glance, but we want to make them the most well-known. Of course, we want to stay with players for longer than just a year because we have goals and ambitions. A complete overhaul every year – that won’t work.”
Whether any clubs were in the ‘driving seat’ for Diomande, Schäfer added:
“There isn’t even anyone in the passenger seat. Everyone’s sitting in the back.”
The winger only moved to the Red Bull Arena in the summer from LaLiga2 side Leganes for €20m and has made an immediate impact in Ole Werner’s side.
Before departing for AFCON, Diomande had seven goals and four assists in 16 games, even scoring his first professional hat-trick in Leipzig’s 6-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the start of December.
