YAN DIOMANDE has lifted the lid on why he told Chelsea to do one as a kid, insisting the Blues were only interested in the money.
The RB Leipzig sensation, now rated at a whopping €100m, has revealed he had trials at Stamford Bridge, Crystal Palace and Rangers before deciding his future wasn’t in England.
And the 19 year old, who’s got Liverpool and Bayern Munich circling like sharks ahead of the summer window, reckons ditching the Premier League giants for a leftfield move to Leganes was the best call of his career.
“It was a difficult time,” the Ivorian whizkid told RBLive. “I felt like for many people, it was all about money. A lot of people told me I absolutely had to play for Chelsea.
“Then I stopped everything and made a decision for myself.”
Diomande took a serious punt by snubbing the Blues, instead linking up with Leganes after the Spanish club’s president helped smooth his move from the USA. Risky? You bet. But it’s paid off big time.
“Suddenly, I was faced with a choice: Leganes or Chelsea?” he said. “It was risky, but luckily, it was the right decision.
“I think patience is very important in football. It’s not always just about money. If you play well, it will come naturally. I’m young; I need to play to increase my sporting value, to improve. And I wouldn’t get that on the bench.”
The teenager’s stock has gone through the roof since joining Leipzig last summer, bagging eight goals and four assists in the Bundesliga this term. No wonder the vultures are circling.
Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move as they plan for life after Mo Salah, though Diomande was quick to hose down talk of Anfield being his dream destination.
“People made it out to be my dream club,” he told Bild. “But first and foremost, it’s my dad’s favourite club. It was always his great wish to see me there someday because he loves the atmosphere at Anfield. He always raved about Steven Gerrard. I was too young to see him play. We didn’t even have a TV at home for a long time.
“I have a lot of respect for Liverpool, but my dream club right now is Leipzig.”
Bayern have also been sniffing around, but the youngster ain’t getting distracted. Leipzig chief Oliver Mintzlaff has slapped a hefty €100m (£87m) price tag on his star asset, though Diomande admits his days in Saxony are probably numbered.
“He’s the boss,” he said of Mintzlaff. “And there are always many people involved in a transfer, clubs, agents, family, players. So, I don’t make these decisions alone.
“One thing I can promise: I’ll never argue with my club! Of course, I probably won’t end my career here. When the time comes, we’ll talk. But if I stay here this summer, I’ll be absolutely happy.”
The kid’s got a wise head on young shoulders and he’s been getting tips from the best. Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior, one of his idols, invited him to Paris for a couple of days to share some wisdom.
“He told me to have fun on the pitch, that’s the most important thing,” Diomande revealed.
With Leipzig sat fifth in the table and a massive clash with second placed Dortmund up next, Diomande’s got bigger fish to fry right now. But you can bet your bottom dollar the big boys will be back in the summer.
