RB Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schafer says there is no completed agreement with Real Madrid for the transfer of Yan Diomande, despite reports suggesting the move had already been settled.
Schafer said negotiations had not yet reached the decisive stage, while uncertainty surrounding the player’s representatives has added to the speculation over his future.
“Obviously, some supposed transfer-market experts reported a few days ago that an agreement had been reached or that the starting signal had been given. Quite simply, that is not the case. We have not reached that stage yet,” Schafer told Sky Sport Germany on Monday.
The latest development in the Diomande story came when the player did not travel with Leipzig to Austria last Saturday. The club said he was ill, although he has continued to train separately.
Diomande returned to Leipzig training last Monday after completing his holiday in Abidjan, which followed his participation in the World Cup. On the same day, he underwent a medical examination and took part in part of a group session that was open to media and supporters.
At the same time, reports continued to suggest that the player was close to joining Real Madrid, although no transfer agreement had been finalised.
The following day, Diomande went back to Leipzig’s training centre. He completed the first session on his own and was not involved with the group during the second session.
It appears Leipzig did not want to take any risk with the player’s fitness while a transfer of such significance remained a possibility. Diomande has trained individually in recent days and has not worked under Demichelis during that period. Demichelis has also not met the player so far.
Dispute over Diomande’s representatives
The player’s agency situation is another issue surrounding the proposed move.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, the transfer has also been held up by a dispute involving Diomande’s former representatives, Maxidell Management, and his current agency, Roc Nation.
Maxidell Management has brought a legal claim against Roc Nation, and the dispute over a potential transfer commission has reached FIFA. The case is currently obstructing the completion of the Leipzig player’s move to Real Madrid, the report says.
Schafer confirmed that Diomande’s representatives had changed and said Leipzig’s current point of contact was Roc Nation.
“There has been a change of agents. Our contact now is Roc Nation, and Yan made that clear to us. I do not believe a transfer will fail because of that, if a transfer happens in the first place,” he said.
The dispute has reportedly caused considerable frustration at Real Madrid. The Spanish club negotiated with Roc Nation, the multinational company owned by rapper Jay-Z, which also represents Vinicius and Endrick.
Roc Nation is alleged not to have informed Real Madrid about the existing legal dispute with Max Gradell, the owner of Maxidell Management. With the agency case still unresolved and Leipzig insisting that no agreement has yet been reached, Diomande’s potential move to Real Madrid remains unsettled.
