Who is Yan Diomande? Man Utd target says he 'wants to play for Liverpool'

Manchester United has been strongly linked with a January move for Yan Diomande, although it appears the RB Leipzig star only has eyes for a transfer to Liverpool

Yan Diomande has indicated he wants a move to Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

He might be the subject of Manchester United interest this month, but it seems Yan Diomande only has eyes for Liverpool.

The 19-year-old has burst onto the scene in the Bundesliga after joining RB Leipzig in the summer, and his performances have not gone unnoticed, with rumors of another move doing the rounds at the moment.

Liverpool has been linked, with “advanced contact” said to have been made last month, although it’s Manchester United that is being strongly linked at the moment. The Red Devils though won’t be too thrilled to hear what Diomande has had to say about his dream move.

“I want to play at Anfield, I want to play for Liverpool,” Diomande is reported to have said during a TikTok live video that has been doing the rounds on social media.

“I’m a big Liverpool fan. My father’s dream is to see me play for Liverpool.”

Despite Caught Offside claiming that United has made a bid for the teenager then, it seems it’s Liverpool that holds an advantage for any potential transfer, whether it be this month or in the summer.

Interest is particularly high in Diomande at the moment, with the winger flying after making the move to Leipzig in the summer, while he’s also starring for Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations, having scored in the last-16 win over Burkina Faso on Tuesday.

Yan Diomande has impressed after making the move to RB Leipzig in the summer(Image: Getty Images)

Diomande has seven goals and four assists from just 16 appearances for Leipzig this season, having made the move from Spanish side Leganes.

It’s been a rapid rise for the Abidjan-born forward. Diomande moved to the United States at a young age to join the DME Academy in Florida, where he helped AS Frenzi to an unbeaten season as he claimed the local league title in 2023.

He went on trial with Scottish Premiership club Rangers later that year, but would return to Florida until getting picked up by Leganes in November 2024.

He was handed his debut by the club against Real Madrid in March 2025, coming on as a late substitute in a 3-2 defeat at the Bernabeu, before earning his first start just two weeks later against Barcelona as his talent quickly became clear.

Although Leganes would be relegated from La Liga, Diomande had clearly done enough to impress plenty of people as he earned his switch to Leipzig, going on to make his first start for the club against Bayern Munich on the opening day of the season.

According to a Bundesliga profile on the player, Diomande is similar to Borussia Dortmund star Karim Adeyemi - another player that has been linked with a move to Liverpool in recent years.

Yan Diomande has said he wants to play for Liverpool(Image: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

"He's a left winger with outstanding speed, can dribble, is very athletic and can finish,” Leipzig managing director Marcel Schafer said.

“He also never gives up the ball and works for the team. Despite all the excitement, we should give Yan enough time to settle into life in Leipzig and the Bundesliga."

How much more time Diomande will get at Leipzig remains to be seen, with the 19-year-old earning plenty of admirers across Europe, and in particular in the Premier League. With Liverpool likely to be looking at forward options in the near future, that dream move to Anfield could well move closer to becoming a reality.