Man Utd Lock Horns with PSG and Bayern Munich in €70 Million Chase for Antoine Semenyo Alternative

Manchester United's search for additional offensive talent has allegedly brought them into the competitive race for RB Leipzig rising star Yan Diomande.

Ruben Amorim's team was briefly connected with a potential move for Antoine Semenyo. This was primarily portrayed as opportunistic interest, with the Ghana striker available for a bargain price of £65 million ($87.5 million) during the January window. Manchester City seems to have secured Semenyo's services, leading United to shift their focus to other targets.

The hunt for a flexible wide player has directed United toward Diomande, as reported by Sky Sports News. The 19-year-old Ivory Coast striker has been among this season's unexpected standouts in an unpredictable RB Leipzig squad, accumulating a team-leading six Bundesliga strikes before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The same source indicates that Diomande is priced between €60–70 million rather than the inflated €100 million figure circulating elsewhere. Regardless, it would constitute a massive investment in a teenager with under 30 senior professional matches. Just half a year ago, he was acquired for €20 million.

United, though, are not the sole European powerhouse considering such an expenditure. Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also reportedly "closely" monitoring the progress of a player who has risen from complete anonymity within the past year.

Why Man Utd Would Want to Sign Yan Diomande

RB Leipzig's sporting director, Marcel Schäfer, summarized Diomande's attributes succinctly: "Young, hungry and high potential."

The Abidjan-native attacker emerged from the U.S. collegiate soccer system, developing at DME Academy in Florida. It wasn't until March 2025 that Diomande, then 18, made his senior professional bow for La Liga strugglers Leganés.

The adaptable striker appeared for merely four minutes against Real Madrid last campaign and would accumulate just 10 appearances for his relegation-destined previous club before Leipzig made a €20 million investment.

Nevertheless, during his 542 minutes of La Liga participation, Diomande demonstrated the elusive dribbling ability that has flourished during his brief tenure in the Bundesliga.

"My approach is explosive, rapid and physically powerful," he explained in a German top-flight interview. "Swift, nimble and also a goalscorer. I understand I am not yet a complete finisher, but I am only 19. With experience, it will develop—and I will become lethal in front of goal."

Yan Diomande's Statistical Profile

Statistics via FBref.

While final product remains an increasingly important aspect for Diomande, spectacle is never distant from the confident showman. "I prefer to say: I departed the streets, but the streets never departed me," he mused. "It remains within me."

Among regular starters across Europe's top five divisions, only Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Manchester City magician Jérémy Doku have recorded more successful dribbles than Diomande this campaign. The youngster bypasses opponents 4.2 times per 90 minutes at an impressive success rate of 58%—surpassing the ratios of both Yamal and Doku.

Able to operate on either wing in Leipzig's 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation, one of the most encouraging early exhibitions of Diomande's abilities occurred from a left wingback position against Villarreal for Leganés last season. Given Ruben Amorim's previous requirements for a player to provide balance for Amad Diallo at wingback for United, the connections to Diomande make sense.

Not that the teenager will become distracted by the speculation.

"I don't focus on rumors," he stated earlier this year. "I concentrate on my performance on the field. When you deliver, speculation will always emerge. I remain focused, and I receive excellent guidance from my father and the club personnel. So I concentrate solely on football."