Realistically RB Leipzig couldn't reject Real Madrid's Yan Diomande offer

The 19-year-old Cote d'Ivoire international joined the Spanish giants after only one season in Germany, with reports putting the guaranteed transfer fee at 125 million euros. The package could rise to 140 million if performance-related bonuses are triggered.

Speaking at a media roundtable in Leipzig, Schafer explained the circumstances behind Diomande's departure after Bulinews.com questioned why the club allowed him to leave so soon.

Leipzig had initially insisted they would not sell Diomande when interest first surfaced towards the end of the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign. However, the situation shifted as the summer window progressed.

Schafer acknowledged that both the player's ambition and Leipzig's financial considerations played a role. Diomande had long dreamed of representing Real Madrid, while the size of the Spanish club's proposal made the decision increasingly difficult for Leipzig to reject.

"So, 100 percent, the intention was not to sell Yan Diomande. Why should we do that? But we are a club, and we need transfer revenues. It's not like, 'maybe it would be good or nice.' It's something we need. It was a significant number," Schafer told Bulinews.

He added: "Sporting-wise, of course, we would have loved to keep him, but on the other hand, we need to create win-win situations and write successful stories. And this was an outstanding story.

"When we signed the player a year earlier for 20 million euros, everyone asked me if I had any issues with calculating or estimating the fee for a player with 10 games in La Liga.

"It's a good example that you don't invest in what a player has already shown, but in the potential. We were the only club putting such a high number on the table. It was way higher than his market value, but the potential was outstanding for us."   

READ MORE: Mamelodi Sundowns expecting tight FIFA Cup contest as Saudi league grows