Manchester City are reported to have communicated to RB Leipzig a willingness to make an offer for Yan Diomande, the day after news broke of a rejected Real Madrid proposal.
Diomande’s future is quickly becoming the transfer saga of the summer, having enjoyed a breakout 2025–26 season in the Bundesliga and then a strong World Cup with Côte d’Ivoire.
The 19-year-old expressed a preference for joining Paris Saint-Germain over Liverpool when it looked like it would be a split choice between the two. But Real Madrid put their money where their mouth is by offering a package worth $115 million (€100 million).
That amount was turned down by Leipzig, who plain and simple want more. But Los Blancos are thought to have made progress in discussions with the player’s camp over a contract. PSG, even with an apparent agreement with Diomande, haven’t put a club-to-club offer on the table.
Now, it seems that Manchester City won’t idly stand by and let someone else sweep up what is promising to be a generational talent. According to Sky Sport Germany, the Premier League side has “verbally indicated” that a similar $115 million is what they are prepared to offer. That is unlikely to move Leipzig, who stand to gain from a bidding war and are seeking “significantly more.”
There is no official written offer from City at this stage.
Where Would Yan Diomande Fit Into Man City’s Team?
The most obvious landing spot for Diomande, capable of playing on either wing, is on Manchester City’s right flank. Jérémy Doku has the left locked down, with Rayan Cherki a creator in the No. 10 role. There is also Phil Foden to mix in, versatile enough to occupy any of those positions. But between Diomande, Doku and Cherki, there is maximum flexibility and fluidity.
What a winger search—which is now also believed to include Chelsea’s Pedro Neto—does is further fuel the expectation that Savinho will soon depart. A Tottenham Hotspur transfer for the 22-year-old Brazilian has been rumored for some time.
But it could also threaten Antoine Semenyo’s minutes. The Ghana international scored five times in his first eight Premier League appearances for City, after January’s transfer from Bournemouth. But he then slowed massively and got only two more in his next nine matches.
Although he occasionally filled in for Erling Haaland as a No. 9 and also played on the left wing a couple of times, it was the right where Semenyo had made his home.
City might have to go some to convince Diomande to choose them over Real Madrid or PSG, but if it comes down to putting money on the table at a level the others aren’t prepared to match, one of the world’s most talked about new talents could be lining up in sky blue by September.
