Yan Diomande 'motivated' by Liverpool transfer links as RB Leipzig star speaks out on his future

The Ivory Coast international has caught the eye of several European heavyweights, with Liverpool reportedly leading the chase for his signature. Despite the mounting speculation regarding a potential move to the Premier League, Diomande remains grounded and is using the transfer talk as fuel to improve his performances on the pitch.

"You gonna be happy and motivate to do more," Diomande told reporters when questioned about the interest from the Reds and other elite clubs. "I don't really think about this kind of thing because I'm trying to be focused on the pitch and because my job is playing football so [his representatives] gonna take care of everything outside of the pitch. So this kind of things give me a lot of motivation to see a lot of clubs speaking about you and stuff like this, but I'm focused."

Having only joined Leipzig from Leganes for €20 million (£17m) last summer, the teenager is keen to show his gratitude to the club that gave him his big break. With a contract that runs until 2030, the German side are in a strong position, and Diomande feels a deep sense of loyalty to the organisation that supported him during his transition to the Bundesliga.

"My contract here is until 2030, so I have four more years," Diomande explained. "What's going to happen afterwards? I don't know. I am a Leipzig player. I will never forget this opportunity. It's not only about playing football, but the club helped me a lot off the pitch. The media only sees me on the pitch, but the club helped me a lot with my family and my mom. The only thing I can do for them is to give everything on the pitch and this is what I'm trying to do every day."

Diomande's journey has been nothing short of remarkable, moving from the DME Academy to La Liga and then the Bundesliga in a very short space of time. His output this season - 13 goals and nine assists across all competitions - has justified Leipzig's decision to activate his release clause last year, and the youngster remains humble about his rapid ascent.

"Nobody knew me before and €20 million is a lot," the winger admitted. "It was a big risk for them and I thank them for that. And like I said today, we are in a good way and it's not over. We need to keep going, keep working hard. I want to thank God first of all because this year was amazing for me as a young player playing the AFCON at 19, play qualification of World Cup, playing Bundesliga and I'm on the way to play the World Cup. I'm just proud of me and I want to thank everyone at the club who gave me this amazing opportunity to be here today."

While the player is clearly happy in East Germany, sources have told ESPN that a massive offer from a club like Liverpool could force Leipzig to consider a sale. Diomande, however, is content to leave the logistical side of his career to his support network, allowing him to concentrate on the upcoming World Cup and his development.

"It's really easy when you have a good team around you," Diomande noted. "You just have to work and they're gonna take care of everything because the only thing I can control is playing football."

With the eyes of the world set to be on him during this summer's tournament, the Ivorian's price tag and the list of potential suitors are only expected to grow further.