RB Leipzig managing director has emphatically quashed talk that Yan Diomande’s switch to Real Madrid was a done deal.
talkSPORT understands the two clubs have a verbal agreement in principle in place for Diomande, with the final details still to be thrashed out.
But that didn’t stop transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano from jumping the gun as he proclaimed on social media the deal had reached the ‘here we go’ stage, a phrase he uses to indicate when a transfer is complete before it is officially announced.
However, the German club’s managing director, Marcel Schafer, has since refuted the claims the deal had been wrapped up.
“It’s clear that some so-called transfer experts reported a few days ago that the deal was done or gave it the ‘here we go,'” Schafer told Sky Germany.
“That’s simply not the case. We’re not at that stage yet.”
How legal troubles could derail Diomande’s Real Madrid switch
Further muddying the waters of Diomande’s mooted switch to the Bernabeu is a legal dispute between the Ivorian’s former representatives and Roc Nation.
Reports in Spain claim Real had been negotiating a deal for Diomande with Roc Nation, a sports agency founded by Jay-Z, having been under the impression they were the player’s primary representatives.
But the deal has encountered a hitch as Maxidel Management, an agency led by former Bournemouth winger Max Gradel, has reportedly filed a lawsuit with FIFA, citing a breach of contract.
It is reported Maxidel Management, which oversaw the deal which brought Diomande to Leipzig from Spanish side Leganes last July, maintain they retain the winger’s rights until he departs the Bundesliga outfit.
Despite the messy side plot, Schafer does not believe it will result in Diomande’s move to Real collapsing entirely.
“From my perspective, it’s a clear no,” Schafer said.
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“I’m not aware of that.
“There has been a change of agents. Our point of contact is now Roc Nation, that’s something Yan made very clear to us.
“I don’t think a transfer would fall through because of that, if it even comes to a transfer in the first place.”
Diomande’s future has been a hot topic throughout the summer after a breakout season with Leipzig in which he scored 13 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions to help the club finish third in the Bundesliga.
Liverpool had emerged as a contender early on in the Diomande sweepstakes, only to withdraw from the running once it became clear he favoured a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Yet the Parisians, who had agreed personal terms with Diomande on a five-year contract, chose not to match Real’s offer once they pulled up to the table.
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Which players have joined Real Madrid this summer?
It has already been a busy summer for Los Blancos, who enter the new season with Jose Mourinho at the helm for a second stint.
Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konate both joined the Spanish giants on free transfers from Manchester City and Liverpool respectively.
Real continued to boost their defensive stocks with the acquisitions of Marc Cucurella from Chelsea and Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan.
But Diomande would undoubtedly be the marquee arrival of the lot as Mourinho looks to restore Real to the top of LaLiga.
