Yan Diomande has said he expects to leave RB Leipzig, while Marcel Schäfer says the winger will stay at the club next season. The 19-year-old has put his future in public view, and Leipzig have answered just as plainly. The exchange has turned a transfer story into a direct disagreement between player and club.

Diomande's own words

Speaking to goal.com, Diomande did not sound like a player trying to calm things down. “I expect to leave, of course,” he said, before adding that his focus is on the World Cup with Ivory Coast.

That was only part of the quote, but the message was clear enough. He also said he does not have Instagram anymore, so he cannot see what is being said around him, and that his agent will take care of the rest.

Schäfer’s response was the opposite. He said Leipzig’s “clear intention” is for Diomande to play for the club next year, added that they “will not back down from that”, and finished by saying Diomande “remains an RB Leipzig player”.

Leipzig's stance and the numbers behind the interest

The club’s position is easier to understand when you look at what Diomande has already done. He produced 13 goals and 10 assists in 36 appearances across all competitions last season, won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season award, and arrived from Leganes in the summer of 2025. He also has four years remaining on his Leipzig contract.

That is the sort of output that gets attention from more than one direction. Liverpool were viewed as a top priority this summer, with Paris Saint Germain emerging as the likelier destination in some reporting, but Leipzig are not sounding like a club preparing for a sale. On paper, they have every reason to dig in.

His World Cup sample also shows why the player is not in any rush to shut the door on bigger things. Diomande has made 3 appearances, played 202 minutes and posted a 7.1 rating. That is a useful tournament run, not a finished product, and Leipzig are clearly betting that another season in Germany is worth more than a quick exit.

The only real uncertainty now is which version of the summer wins out. Diomande has already said he expects to leave, but Leipzig are making it equally clear that they do not intend to let him go this year, and the next move will have to come after that public standoff settles.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →