Arsenal chase €100m AFCON star

Arsenal are in the market for another attacker, and RB Leipzig and Ivory Coast star Yan Diomande is atop their list, according to The Athletic.

One of the main obstacles is the nine-figure fee that Leipzig would demand in return. Diomande has scored six goals with two assists in 14 Bundesliga matches after arriving from relegated Spanish side Leganes over the summer, which is why his club are asking €100m for the teenager.

Diomande is currently on international duty at the African Cup of Nations, where he scored the second goal of Ivory Coast’s 3-0 victory over Burkina Faso in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old left winger also leads the competition in dribbles completed per 90 minutes with 5.5.

Diomande currently has an Expected Transfer Value (ETV) of €20m, but his high potential is the main reason why Leipzig are reportedly asking for five times that price.

For his club, Diomande has so far shown elite finishing ability — in a small sample size of 888 minutes over 14 appearances — as his six goals come against just 3.2 expected goals (xG).

He also leads the Bundesliga in successful take-ons with 42, which is 12 more than the next-best player, Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise.

A better fit for Arsenal

Diomande’s six league goals would be Arsenal’s club-high so far this season, and his xG would rank fifth.

The Ivorian’s ability to dribble past defenders would add a new dimension to Arsenal’s attack.

Under manager Mikel Arteta, the left-wingers are Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, who each average less than 1.2 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League.

Diomande, meanwhile, averages 4.24 successful take-ons per 90, along with 1.11 shot-creating actions via a successful take-on.

Both metrics would be the best among Arsenal players by a significant margin.

All three of the aforementioned left-wingers have similar goal outputs in all competitions. Diomande and Trossard each have seven goals, while Martinelli has six, including five goals in five Champions League appearances.

There is always the concern that Bundesliga players struggle to acclimate to England, but it helps that Diomande, at 19, already has experience in two of the top five leagues (he played 545 minutes over 10 matches for Leganes in La Liga last season) as well as in a major international tournament.

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