Yan Diomande has been heavily linked with a transfer to Liverpool – BBC Sport understands the Reds have told RB Leipzig they are willing to pay £86m for him
Yan Diomande has been heavily linked with a transfer to Liverpool – BBC Sport understands the Reds have told RB Leipzig they are willing to pay £86m for him
When Ivory Coast’s teenage sensation Yan Diomande lines up on the wing against Germany in their second World Cup match on Saturday (21:00 BST), he will be the subject of huge attention from millions around the world.
Just how good is he? Can he put on a show against one of the best teams in the competition? How would his speed and dribbling translate to the Premier League?
But Diomande’s own focus will be on one thing – making his little sister Roxanne proud. She died a year ago, aged 15, after her drink was spiked.
“Everything I do on a football pitch, it’s for you,” the 19-year-old wrote in a heartfelt and searingly honest letter published by The Players’ Tribune, external this week.
Diomande – who scored 12 goals for RB Leipzig in his debut season in the Bundesliga last year – outlined how much his sister’s belief in his ability as a footballer has underpinned his career so far.
“I don’t even look at it like a game,” he wrote. “I look at it like a stage. This is my chance to show the whole world what you saw in me.
“Every time I score, I’ll make sure everybody knows your name. I’ll make sure they don’t forget you.”
Diomande continued: “Now, I don’t feel anything. It’s like I’m not even human. Since you died, I’m just blank.
“I don’t try to forget, because I know I won’t forget. All I can do is use the pain to work harder, and to do everything we dreamed about.”
‘We call him golden boy’
Such a painful loss was rendered even more difficult for Diomande as he was living away from his loved ones, playing for Spanish side Leganes.
Having subsequently moved to Germany and drawn widespread acclaim for his performances and output, Diomande is now determined to make a success of the World Cup – not for himself, but for his sister, family and everybody else back home.
“We’re here to represent millions of people and play for our loved ones and our families,” he says. “It makes us want to go out there and make an impact.”
Ivory Coast have played in the World Cup three times before – in 2006, 2010, and 2014 – but never made it beyond the group stage despite fielding teams including global icons like Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba.
But their opening win over Ecuador has put them in a strong position to progress, and Diomande believes there is a key difference between the current squad and those which went before.
“I think we have more desire,” he says. “There isn’t a lot of expectation on us, so we have nothing to lose and we’ll give it everything. That’s what our mentality needs to be.”
If Ivory Coast are to go far in the competition, Diomande will need to play a key role in their success. Despite his tender age, his team-mates are confident in his ability to make a difference.
“The ‘golden boy’, as we call him,” says Amad Diallo, the Manchester United winger who came off the bench to score the winner against Ecuador.
“Penetration, dribbling – his speciality, he’s someone who is very strong one on one.”
‘At 19, Diomande is the hope of a nation’
Diomande completed four successful dribbles against Ecuador, the most of any player in the World Cup so far
Diomande completed four successful dribbles against Ecuador, the most of any player in the World Cup so far
Ivorians have long been aware of Diomande’s talent, and believe he can become a leader in a team capable of reaching new heights.
“He really captured the hearts of Ivorians last October, when he showed his class in a World Cup qualifier against Kenya,” says Mamadou Gaye, a veteran Ivorian broadcaster and journalist.
“Since then many are saying that he is the heir to Didier Drogba for us. At 19, he is the hope of a nation.
“He comes from a very modest part of Abidjan. He shared meals, housework, and even a bedroom with his little sister. He was incredibly attached to her.
“The shocking circumstances of her death highlight the precarious conditions that a lot of young footballers like him dream to get away from.
“His letter to her is a cry of love and message about nefarious intentions and criminality understood by the youth of the Ivory Coast and Africa.”
‘He wants to prove he belongs at top level’
Diomande is an electric wide player whose ability with the ball at his feet makes him exceptionally dangerous.
Last year he ranked highest among all Bundesliga wingers for successful dribbles and duels won, and was also in the top handful for shots on target, touches inside the penalty area, successful passes, chances created, assists, and even the amount of times he won back possession.
That all-round skillset and ability to affect the game in a variety of ways has led to interest from some of Europe’s top clubs, including Paris St-Germain and Liverpool, who have begun making efforts to sign him.
“I commentated on his first game in Germany and he was clearly phenomenal,” says Kevin Hatchard, a Bundesliga English-language commentator.
“What marks him out as special is he always wants to take responsibility, being on the ball and making things happen all the time. He isn’t selfish either and his work-rate without the ball is incredible – he is willing to press and track back.
“He dovetails with the full-backs well and has a good awareness of what’s around him. He is always just really up for it – even when teams put two men on him, he relishes taking them on.”
Diomande only played 10 La Liga fixtures for Leganes, scoring twice, before RB Leipzig signed him for £17m
Diomande only played 10 La Liga fixtures for Leganes, scoring twice, before RB Leipzig signed him for £17m
Diomande originally left his hometown Abidjan in 2015, moving to the USA and joining an athletic academy while attending high school.
He had trials with Major League Soccer clubs, as well as Bournemouth, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, and Rangers, but none were impressed enough to sign him until Leganes.
“You could see him at PSG or Liverpool already at this age, no problem,” Hatchard says.
“There would be an element of adaptation but I think he would handle it. Up against a low block he can zoom past somebody and open up space, or pick out a cute pass.
“He comes across as very level-headed. Whenever he has been asked about transfers he makes clear he is grateful to Leipzig for taking a chance on him.
“From the way he plays you get the sense that this is a guy who wants to prove that he does belong at the top level, and to underline the faith his sister always had in him.”
