Manchester City watching Leipzig talent tipped to become the next Kylian Mbappe – German club eye €100 million transfer | OneFootball

Manchester City officials could find themselves embroiled in a transfer battle for Europe’s next potential €100 million footballer, according to German reports.

Pep Guardiola’s side are no strangers to competing for emerging superstars, particularly in the attacking department, having tracked and recruited several of the continent’s top young forwards in recent seasons.

The club’s recruitment strategy – focused on acquiring players capable of long-term development both at the Etihad Stadium and within the wider City Football Group network – appears to have turned its attention towards one of RB Leipzig’s newest sensations.

The Bundesliga club, who have an established relationship with Manchester City following the 2023 sale of Josko Gvardiol, could once again find themselves in negotiations with the Premier League giants in the not-too-distant future.

Leipzig’s latest standout performer is drawing widespread attention for his combination of pace, flair, and explosiveness – qualities reminiscent of France’s most electrifying forwards.

That is according to the information of SportBILD, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, who now report that a Premier League trio of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea are all keeping a close eye on RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande.

However, it is claimed that the 18-year-old has ‘all of Europe’ watching his performances and development at present, with scouts from across the continent regularly attending games to assess the winger and the unanimous opinion being that he is ‘one of the greatest talents’.

In fact, such is the excitement that the report suggests clubs believe he could have a similar career to Kylian Mbappé or Ousmane Dembélé, while Leipzig are eyeing a huge profit on the €20 million they paid in the summer as they want €100 million for the player – breaking their current transfer record of €90 million from Josko Gvardiol’s move to Manchester City in 2023.

Since arriving from Leganés, Diomande has made a stunning start to life in Germany, recording three goals and three assists in his last three appearances while leading the Bundesliga charts in both attempted and successful dribbles.

From a Manchester City perspective, their interest in Diomande reflects a continued effort to future-proof their forward line, having explored profiles across multiple European leagues, including versatile wide players and inverted forwards.

With RB Leipzig valuing the Ivorian teenager at around €100 million, any concrete approach would likely come next summer rather than in January. Manchester City’s transfer hierarchy – who have previously navigated major deals with German sides – may look to use those positive channels again if Diomande’s development continues on its current trajectory.

For now, the Etihad Stadium’s scouting department will continue to monitor the winger’s progress, with a sense among observers that Europe’s next breakout superstar could already be emerging in Leipzig’s red and white.