Arsenal are looking to bolster the left-hand side of their attack this summer, with an upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli deemed one of Mikel Arteta’s biggest priorities, although they’ve suffered a blow in the pursuit of one specific target.
The Gunners sit nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table heading into the run-in, although attention has already turned to the summer for sporting director Andrea Berta. The Italian isn’t prepared to rest on his laurels, and is focused on further strengthening the depth and quality in Arteta’s squad.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Anthony Gordon are on Arsenal’s radar, although the North Londoners may look elsewhere if deals for these aforementioned targets prove to be too complicated.
Arsenal dealt transfer blow in Yan Diomande pursuit
Arsenal have been linked with a move for RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande, with the Ivorian deemed an exciting potential replacement for Martinelli by senior figures at the Emirates. The 19-year-old winger has exploded onto the scene this term, netting 11 goals and providing seven assists across all competitions after completing a £17 million switch from Leganes in the summer.
Several top clubs across Europe are understood to be monitoring Diomande’s progress, with an eye to moving for him in the summer. Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are said to be among the list of potential suitors.
However, the Gunners and all other interested parties may just have been dealt a significant blow in their pursuit of the youngster. According to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, RB Leipzig are planning to offer Diomande a lucrative new deal which will include a performance-related pay rise.
This proposal isn’t likely to contain a release clause, with Leipzig reportedly only likely to be tempted by offers in the region of €100 million (£87 million) for their prized possession.
🚨🆕 RB Leipzig are planning to reward Yan #Diomande with a new deal and performance-based pay rise, without adding a release clause.
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) April 2, 2026
RB want to keep their 19 y/o gem for another season, but would consider offers starting at €100m.
Liverpool are closely monitoring him and… pic.twitter.com/pBiLY891gZ
If Diomande agrees and puts pen to paper on this new deal, then it’s difficult to imagine Arsenal or any other suitor stumping up the money required to land him. While the prospect has been excellent for Leipzig this season, investing such a significant sum of money on a player who could plausibly not develop into a superstar is a huge risk.
Arsenal should be aggressive in Yan Diomande pursuit
While Diomande hasn’t proven himself over an extended period of time yet, his potential is difficult to ignore. A deal this summer may prove to be too expensive to pull off, but Arsenal should be seriously considering making an aggressive push to sign the player.
Explosive and an exceptional dribbler, Diomande completes over four take-ons per 90 minutes, which places him in the 99th percentile for this metric. He is one of the most prolific dribblers in Europe at the age of 19, which is an incredibly encouraging attribute for an attacker to have at this age, and something Arsenal need more of in their ranks.
| Yan Diomande’s Bundesliga Statistics 2024/25 | |
| Appearances | 26 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Assists | 6 |
| Shots per 90 | 2.02 |
| Expected Goals per 90 | 0.26 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 2.07 |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.35 |
| Successful Take-ons per 90 | 4.18 |
However, unlike talents before him who can dribble but fail to influence the game in the final third, Diomande actually has end product. He ranks in the 95th percentile for expected assists per 90 minutes, and the 79th percentile for non-penalty expected goals.
He is undoubtedly one of the most promising young players on the market, and he may even prove to be a smarter investment than someone like Kvaratskhelia.
