RB Leipzig forward Yann Diomande is already equipped to make the step to one of Europe’s superclubs and shows flashes reminiscent of Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, according to his former Leganes coach Borja Jimenez.
The Ivorian teenager, now 19, has seen his valuation soar from €1.5m to around €90m since his breakthrough season with Leganes in 2024-25, and is currently being linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Jimenez, who oversaw Diomande’s emergence in Spain before the player’s move to the Bundesliga, believes the forward’s form in Germany underlines that he is ready for the very highest level.
“Of course Diomande is ready to join a big club, he is proving it week after week in the German league,” Jimenez told Spanish newspaper Sport.
‘He reminds me a lot of Lamine Yamal’
Jimenez, along with former Leganes team-mate Enric Franquesa, witnessed Diomande’s rapid rise first-hand during his spell with the Madrid club.
The coach highlighted Diomande’s one-on-one ability and composure on the ball, and drew a direct comparison with one of Europe’s most talked-about young talents.
“Diomande has the art of dribbling and carrying the ball out even in the most difficult situations,” Jimenez said. “He is a very different kind of player, and in many aspects he reminds me of Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.”
Jimenez recalled being immediately struck by Diomande’s impact in a training-game setting, during an internal match against the reserve side in the final international break of March 2025.
“The first impression he made was absolutely incredible,” he explained. “It was in a match against the B team during the last international break in March 2025. We only gave him 45 minutes because he was doing whatever he wanted on the pitch, and he scored as well.”
‘We were afraid he might get hurt’
The former Leganes boss said Diomande’s blend of technical skill and physical strength forced the staff to limit his minutes in that game out of concern for his welfare.
“We were afraid he might get hurt,” Jimenez admitted. “He had an amazing ability to change direction constantly and dribble past first-division players as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
“His impact was enormous and he kept repeating those efforts, and he is very strong physically. He surprised us a lot. I had never seen anything like that before.”
Jimenez’s view is echoed by Franquesa, who shared a dressing room with Diomande at Leganes and says the youngster’s mentality was evident from the outset.
‘From day one, everyone said: this kid has to play’
Franquesa said he was taken aback by how quickly Diomande adapted to the demands of senior football.
“He was a player who really surprised me,” the defender said. “His maturity and boldness were evident from the first day he trained with us.”
The former team-mate added that the Leganes squad quickly realised they were dealing with a special talent once Diomande stepped up to the first team.
“From the very first moment, we felt he was a different player,” Franquesa continued. “What I remember most are my team-mates’ comments when he moved up to the first team. Everyone started saying: this kid has to play.”
Franquesa believes that Diomande’s particular strengths make him almost certain to end up at one of the continent’s leading clubs.
“He will end up at one of the best clubs in Europe. He has all the attributes,” he said. “The hardest thing to find in football today is the ability to dominate in one-on-one situations, and he has that quality. It will open the doors of any big club for him.”
