Chelsea transfer news: Yan Diomande explains rejection as Liam Rosenior offered 26-year-old alternative

Yan Diomande has opened up on his decision to reject a move to Premier League giants Chelsea following a trial with the Club World Cup winners.

The RB Leipzig talent has blossomed into one of the most sought-after wingers in Europe this season and is expected to be at the heart of an £87m transfer tussle when the summer window opens.

Diomande has come up with 15 goal involvements in 24 games this season - nine of his own and six assists - proving to be worth every penny of the £17.5m Leipzig paid to sign him from Leganes in 2025.

The Ivory Coast international has been tipped to become Mohamed Salah's heir at Liverpool, although he recently clarified comments he made where he appeared to label the Reds his dream destination.

Liverpool will face intense competition from the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain to capture Diomande, although he could have been representing the former had he gone down a different career path.

Yan Diomande: 'People told me I had to play for Chelsea'

"I was scouted at an international tournament. To prepare for a professional career in Europe, I moved to an academy in Florida. Two years later, I had my first trials with Chelsea, Crystal Palace, and Rangers," Diomande told RBLive, as quoted by The Standard.

In a separate interview with Bild, Diomande revealed that he had the choice between Stamford Bridge and Leganes, and he opted to join the latter against the wishes of a "lot of people", whom he feels were only thinking of financial factors.

"It was a difficult time," the attacker added. "I felt like for many people, it was all about money. A lot of people told me I absolutely had to play for Chelsea.

"Then I stopped everything and made a decision for myself. I knew the president of Leganes; he had helped with my move to the USA. Suddenly, I was faced with a choice: Leganes or Chelsea? It was risky, but luckily, it was the right decision.

"I think patience is very important in football. It’s not always just about money. If you play well, it will come naturally. I’m young; I need to play to increase my sporting value, to improve. And I wouldn’t get that on the bench."

Do Chelsea actually need Yan Diomande?

The BlueCo era at Chelsea has been defined by the Club World Cup winners splashing the cash on countless wide players, without addressing their lack of a ruthless number nine.

The West London giants appear to have solved the latter issue with the signing of Joao Pedro - responsible for 13 goals and eight assists in all tournaments this season - and the left side of their attack is not the most convincing.

Mykhaylo Mudryk is still serving a provisional doping suspension with no end in sight, while 21-year-olds Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho are yet to set the world alight since their summer moves.

Diomande could be seen as an immediate upgrade on the latter two, but in terms of Chelsea's available wingers, Neto is the most experienced at the ripe old age of 25.

As a result, the Blues may be better-served targeting an established wide man whom the likes of Garnacho, Gittens and Estevao Willian could learn from - 26-year-old Rafael Leao immediately springs to mind.