Yan Diomande on his "big move" to Leipzig and a World Cup clash with Germany

It took €20million to bring Yan Diomande to RB Leipzig last summer, and it goes without saying that it was probably one of the best investments the club ever made. For the Ivory Coast winger, the Lower Saxony club was familiar to him even before he joined. 

"It was a big move from Leganes to here [Leipzig]. I knew Leipzig a long time, in the Champions League because of Amadou Haidara. I told him directly 'I want to go there," Diomande said in an in-house interview with Leipzig. 

"He told me ‘RB Leipzig want to buy you’ and I told him "I want to go there, I don't have to think" directly. I knew the team, it was a good team and a good decision. I can only say that I'm blessed. There's not a lot of people who get this opportunity. I wanted to say thank you to God because I'm blessed," he added.

The 19-year-old gave insights into his first experiences in Leipzig, a burning desire to score his first goal for the club and how he has managed to lay claim to his permanent place in Ole Werner's squad. 

"I was waiting for my first goal and then I scored my first goal. Then I scored and scored and scored. But I'm not finished, I'm trying to improve and score again, more goals. I'm working and believing in myself. I'm blessed as well, God is blessing me. I listen to my teammates and coach, this is the secret. 

"The first thing is to work hard and I think I can improve. The connection [in the team] is not 100% yet and I'm trying to fix the connection and see what will happen. My brother told me to take everything, I won the [Bundesliga] Rookie of the Month. My dream is to win everything, and I'm going to do it," he  said.

Looking ahead to summer, the small matter of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico lays on the horizon. Diomande's native Ivory Coast will be competing in Group E against Curacao, Ecuador and a few familiar faces in Germany. 

"Every player dreams of playing for his country, but that [playing at the World Cup] was my biggest dream and I'm so happy to be there and proud. He [Bazoumana Touré of TSG Hoffenheim] plays for my country.

"We talk every day, but on the pitch we are not friends because he is a winner as well and me too. Me too, I don't want to lose and him as well. But thank you to my country for letting me play.

"It [the World Cup] is a big tournament. They [Germany, a group opponent of Ivory Coast] are a strong team. I will also be playing against David [Raum], he is our captain and a good guy. It's going to be good to see him again so I'm waiting for the day.

"It's always good to have your family close to you, people don't see what happens off the pitch. As a young guy, taking care of your family is a blessing. I can do this, and not everyone gets this chance to play this role in their family.

"I'm so happy and proud because that was my dream and become a mentor for my family as a young guy. This life is amazing, I have it because of RB Leipzig. I'm so happy to be here and to continue with the team," he said, keeping himself humbly rooted to the ground.