"Everybody said 'go, go, go!'" – Marcel Schäfer reveals how RB Leipzig won the race for Yan Diomande

LEIPZIG (Bulinews): Six months after joining RB Leipzig from Spanish outfit CD Leganés, Yan Diomande is arguably one of the most-coveted young wingers in the world.

Impressing with his pace, flair and strength in one-on-one situations, the 19-year-old hit the ground running in Germany and has racked up an impressive seven goals and four assists in 17 games for Die Roten Bullen in all competitions.

His impact hasn’t come as a surprise to RB Leipzig managing director for sport Marcel Schäfer. After reviewing Diomande’s data and seeing him in action for Leganés, Schäfer and his team knew he'd be a perfect fit for the RB Leipzig's style of play.

“We saw the data and immediately knew that we had to take a detailed look at the player, both on video and in live matches, and that’s what we did,” Marcel Schäfer said during a media round attended by Bulinews.com.

“Our advantage was that we were there before he had even played 200 minutes in the league. We already knew he had the profile we were looking for that summer.

“We didn’t need to have five conversations about signing him because the profile was clear. It was a 100 percent match from our side,” Schäfer stressed.

Klopp and Gomez gave their blessing

RB Leipzig’s decision to pay a reported €20 million for Diomande, who had only started six La Liga games for Leganés, raised eyebrows at the time. But the club had seen enough to pull the trigger.

Schäfer explained that RB Leipzig were far from the only team aware of Diomande’s potential, so they had to move quickly – with approval from Red Bull head of global soccer Jürgen Klopp and technical director Mario Gomez.

“It was clear to us that if we had the chance, we would go for it. When we started negotiations with Leganés, they said there was such high competition for the player that we needed to pay that amount if we wanted him,” Schäfer recalled.

“Leganés were clear, honest and transparent. It was a huge amount given where the player was at the time, but we knew he was our number-one favourite. We wanted the player, even if we had to pay a little more than many expected. We didn’t care, because it was an ideal situation. We were even in touch with Jürgen Klopp and Mario Gomez, who saw the data and video clips, and everybody said ‘go, go, go.’”

Since joining RB Leipzig, Diomande has been linked with a host of European top clubs, and it's been suggested that he could be sold for as much as €100 million. But with the youngster on a contract until 2030 without a release clause, Leipzig hold a strong negotiating position.

“There isn’t even anyone sitting in the passenger seat. Everyone is sitting in the back seat,” Schäfer recently said when asked whether RB Leipzig are in the “front seat” when it comes to the player’s future.

Another young winger joins the fold

RB Leipzig recently signed another young winger, Suleiman Sani, from Slovakian side AS Trencin. Though Sani was playing at a lower level and cost significantly less (reportedly €5 million), Schäfer sees many similarities with Diomande.

“Yan was already playing in a European top league, at least for a few months, while Suleiman – with all due respect – was in a smaller league in Slovakia. But you can see that a player can adapt quickly when his profile is the right one. It’s a similar situation,” said Schäfer.

“He has the same profile. He’s a player with huge speed, an athletic build, a strong core, is difficult to defend against, and always tries to go one-on-one. And of course, there’s still a lot of potential.”

Sani scored three goals and provided two assists for Trencin in the Slovakian league this season before making the move to Germany.