‘Of course’ – Yan Diomande reacts to Chelsea transfer links for the first time

Irrespective of the criticism they receive, one thing Chelsea are still able to do is make themselves an attractive option for some of the world’s most exciting young players.

That has happened again recently with Yan Diomande after the teenager openly addressed speculation linking him with both Chelsea and Real Madrid.

The 19-year-old is emerging as one of Europe’s brightest talents. His 13 goals and nine assists in all competitions this season have seen him become RB Leipzig’s newest breakthrough star with expectation he’s destined for the very top rapidly growing.

And that excitement is only going to grow as he prepares to play an important role in the Ivory Coast’s World Cup campaign in North America later this summer.

Yan Diomande admits Chelsea transfer links motivate him

Speaking recently to Bulinews about the mounting transfer speculation, Diomande admitted being linked with clubs like Chelsea and Real Madrid naturally gives him extra motivation.

“Of course, if you imagine someone saying you have to go to Chelsea or Real Madrid to do this job, you’re going to be happy and motivated to do more.

But I don’t think about this kind of thing because I’m trying to be focused on the pitch. Because my job is playing football, I leave everything else outside the pitch.

It gives me a lot of motivation to see clubs speak about me. I’m focused.”

Unlike past players at RB Leipzig, Diomande’s contract, which runs until 2030, isn’t believed to contain a release clause, meaning the club who wants to sign him will need to be prepared to pay a huge fee.

Chelsea continue looking for players capable of handling pressure

One thing Chelsea have learned quickly under BlueCo is that signing talented young players is only one part of the equation. For those young players, handling the pressures of playing for such a big club is something completley different.

This is why the Blues are desperately crying out for mentally strong players with solid leadership qualities. BlueCo appear set to amend their transfer policy this summer as they attempt to add real experience.

Diomande is obviously still developing and there would naturally be enormous expectation attached to any future transfer, particularly to a club of Chelsea’s size.

While it feels unlikely he’ll leave Germany this summer, should he end up at Stamford Bridge in the future, fans will be expecting the teenager to have already learned how to balance explosiveness with composure.