The many talents of Yan Diomande | OneFootball

Yan Diomande is probably THE breakout star of this season. Our lightning-fast winger has settled into the Bundesliga in no time and, at just 19 years old, is consistently putting in strong performances.

Hit the ground running

Marcel Schäfer summed it up at Yan's signing: "We've signed an absolute top talent in Yan Diomande," said our managing director for sport in July 2025. The Ivorian's contract is set to run until 2030. 

However, Schäfer also added a note of caution: “Even with all the excitement, we should give Yan enough time to settle in Leipzig and in the Bundesliga, to learn and to work.” Our number 49 didn’t need much time at all. He scored his first goal in his very first competitive match in the DFB-Pokal against SV Sandhausen.

It took him ever so slightly longer to adjust to the Bundesliga, as he scored his first league goal and provided two assists on matchday eight in the 6-0 win over Augsburg.

That was the final breakthrough, as since then, he has been scoring and assisting regularly. It's difficult to imagine him not in our starting lineup.

Pace and goals

Yan made history in the 6-0 home victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in December: at 19 years and 22 days old, he became the second-youngest player in Bundesliga history to score a hat trick. Walter Bechthold holds the record, having netted three as an 18-year-old in November 1965.

With his goal in the game against Augsburg last weekend, Yan became RB Leipzig’s joint top scorer in the Bundesliga alongside Christoph Baumgartner. Both have 10 goals. Across all competitions, "Baumi" is still ahead with 14 goals, compared to Yan’s 11, however they are level when it comes to assists with seven each.

Yan’s outstanding quality is his incredible speed. When accelerates down the wing, very few defenders can stop him. With a top speed of 36.3 km/h, he is the second-fastest player in the Bundesliga, behind Ricky-Jade Jones of FC St. Pauli (36.46 km/h). His 510 sprints rank as the sixth-highest total in the league.

The Bundesliga's best duel winner

Yan, who has just been awarded the Bundesliga "Rookie of the Month" award for the second time this season, is not just your classic pacey winger. Yan puts the team first, always tracking back, working defensively and winning possession.

Perhaps the most impressive statistic is this: no other player in the Bundesliga has won more duels than Yan this season. With 313 duels won, there is daylight between Yan and those behind him. 1. FSV Mainz 05's Kaishu Sano sits in second with 272, while our very own Willi Orban takes third place on 268. For a winger to lead this statistic is quite rare.

One thing is for sure: one of the most exciting players in the league is under contract at RB Leipzig. At 19 years old, Yan is only at the beginning of his career. Who knows how strong this breakout star can become in the future?

Discover more

Fixtures Red Bull Arena Men's first team Tickets Fan zone