Tottenham have been eyeing a move for one of the Bundesliga’s hottest prospects.
Tottenham Hotspur jumped in with a last-minute hijack on Monday to beat Aston Villa to the signature of Conor Gallagher. On Wednesday, the club officially confirmed the signing of Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid.
The England international’s arrival marks Tottenham’s first signing of the January transfer window. The addition is a big boost for Thomas Frank, who received the news this week that Rodrigo Bentancur is out for three months after undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury, while Lucas Bergvall is also struggling with a knock, and Pape Matar Sarr’s Senegal advanced to the AFCON final.
There are still plenty of gaps in the squad that the Hotspur Way chiefs need to address. The lack of creativity and goals have been one of the major issues in Thomas Frank’s Spurs side. Yet, the club decided to sell Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace at the start of the month. On top of that, they lost Mohammed Kudus to a quad injury until April.
Tottenham eye move for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande
As a result, the Lilywhites have stepped up their pursuit of a new winger. €45 million-rated RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande, who is quickly becoming one of Europe’s most exciting young talents, has fallen on the radar of Tottenham.
The teenager has been flying in the Bundesliga this season following his last summer’s move from Spanish side CD Leganes. Yan Diomande bagged seven goals and four assists in 16 appearances for RB Leipzig in all competitions before leaving for the AFCON in December. He had a strong debut AFCON campaign, netting a goal in five appearances, as the Ivory Coast were knocked out by Egypt 3-2 in the quarter-final.
Recently, reputable journalist Ben Jacobs claimed Diomande would be open to a mid-season switch if a tempting opportunity arrives. However, Tottenham aren’t the only club interested in the 19-year-old. Manchester United and Liverpool have been closely monitoring his performances at RB Leipzig this term as the two English giants look to bolster their wide areas.
Yan Diomande staying at RB Leipzig!
However, transfer news king Fabrizio Romano has revealed a complicated situation, implying that a deal is “not possible” for Tottenham or any other club in January. This is because RB Leipzig does not want to sell Diomande this month, as they feel his performances in the second half of the campaign could drive up his price ahead of the summer transfer window.
“The message from Leipzig is that Diomande will not leave the club in the January window,” Fabrizio Romano said on his YouTube channel.
“They want to keep the winger. Eventually, in the summer it’s going to be a different story. Man Utd, PSG and Bayern are sending their people to follow him. Tottenham already tried for this January window but it was not possible.
“There’s going to be plenty of interest in him because he’s one of the most interesting wingers in the market. But Leipzig was to continue with him and protect him. They think the next six months will help to drive the price higher ahead of the summer transfer window.
“If you ask me do you think Diomande will move in January, I’d say it would be complicated because Leipzig already made big money in the summer.”
Diomande has been a revelation in the Bundesliga, impressing with his pace, directness, dribbling and goalscoring ability. At 19, there will be belief in the Tottenham offices that the Ivorian would be a smart investment for the future, but also that he could have an immediate impact on Frank’s side. However, Leipzig not entertaining bids for the youngster in January should come as a setback for the Lilywhites.
Come summer, it will become tougher to sign Diomande, given the prospect of more clubs vying for his signature.