Sunderland held talks over £17m clause before RB Leipzig signed Yan Diomande | OneFootball

Sunderland held concrete talks over Yan Diomande before his switch to RB Leipzig, but did not meet the winger’s £17million clause.

“That’s right. During negotiations with Leipzig, things also became very concrete with Sunderland. However, they didn’t want to trigger the release clause.” Meier said, speaking to Sky Sports.

The 19-year-old joined Leipzig from Leganes last summer after his €20million release clause was triggered. He has since emerged as one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting young attackers, his speed and dribbling drawing praise from Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann.

“Many other clubs who could have paid the €20million said they found the player very interesting, but a transfer was too risky due to his limited playing time. Of the big Bundesliga clubs, only Borussia Dortmund showed interest in him.”

Born in Abidjan, the Ivory Coast international moved to the United States at 15, joined DME Academy in 2022 after high school football with the Yulee Hornets, trialled at Rangers, then joined Leganes, debuting in La Liga against Real Madrid in March 2025 and later scoring against Espanyol.

Leipzig triggered his clause and handed him a five-year deal. He scored in the DFB-Pokal against SV Sandhausen, then opened his Bundesliga account in a 6-0 win at Augsburg. A hat-trick in a 6-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt made him the second-youngest to manage the feat in Bundesliga history, behind Walter Bechtold in 1965.

Source: Sunderland Echo