RB Leipzig's jewel Diomande: A star with a strong heart!

RB Leipzig's jewel Diomande: A star with a strong heart!

RB Leipzig has a promising newcomer in its ranks with Yan Diomande. The 18-year-old player has already made a name for himself in the last two games by scoring a total of five points: in the impressive 6-0 win against Augsburg and the 3-1 against Stuttgart. Diomande was signed by Leganés for a whopping €20 million in the summer of 2025 after RB Leipzig successfully pulled the talent's release clause, which Bild.de reports.

RB Leipzig's scouting system has discovered a lot of talent in recent years and Diomande was no exception. Scouts were impressed by his strong performance in the game against Barcelona, ​​where Diomande was in the starting lineup. In his short time in the Spanish La Liga, he made his debut in March 2025 and played a total of 11 minutes in three games before being called up to the first eleven. This performance did not leave those in charge at RB Leipzig indifferent, and after further observations, tempting offers were made to Leganés, which were initially rejected.

Profile of the talent

Yan Diomande is described as physically strong and light-footed, his playing style is heavily geared towards one-on-one situations. His teammates describe him as someone with a good mindset, which is particularly important for a young player. His football journey began at a young age when he moved to the USA at the age of 10 to go to school and later to be trained at the “DME Academy”. There he became the top scorer in the USPL youth league and was named most valuable player in the final series. This brought him to the attention of Leganés.

Diomande also plays from a very personal drive. He carries the memory of his late sister, who died at the end of 2024, in his heart. The rest of the family lives in Ivory Coast and have not yet visited the young player in Germany. However, Diomande is not yet completely independent: he either takes a taxi to training or is picked up by teammates because he does not have a driver's license and does not have his own car.

Team dynamics and environment

Diomande seems to be integrating into the team extremely well. He has particularly strong ties to the so-called “French Connection” around Castello Lukeba. This close friendship gave him a smooth transition into the Bundesliga and the new culture. It remains to be seen how the young talent will develop in the coming months, but the first steps seem promising.