£20 Million Bundesliga Wonderkid Reveals Collapsed Glasgow Rangers Trial

RB Leipzig’s £20million teenager Yan Diomande says he nearly signed for Rangers after a trial at Ibrox — and claims the deal fell through because “my agent at the time demanded too much money.”

The 18-year-old winger, signed from Leganés in the summer, lifted the lid on his Glasgow stint and the circuitous path that ultimately took him to the Bundesliga.

‘It’s not true that I didn’t want to sign’ — Diomande’s version

Diomande recalled arriving in Scotland via the USA after being scouted at an international tournament and joining a Florida academy to prepare for Europe. He trained with Rangers and featured in a B-team friendly against Monaco, but no contract followed.

“Two years later, I was on trial at Glasgow Rangers,” he said. “It’s not true that I didn’t want to sign for them — my agent at the time demanded too much money. After that, I went to Olympiacos on trial, but that didn’t work out either. Eventually, I went to Spain and signed a contract with Leganés.”

The winger, who previously played for American fourth-tier side AS Frenzi, insists the solo trials hardened his resolve.

“I was alone when I went on those trials, but I’m grateful for those experiences. They helped me understand that I can make it through life on my own if I have to.”

From trials to a £20m release clause

Leipzig triggered Diomande’s £20m release clause this summer, capping a rapid rise that the player admits can be hard to comprehend.

“I sometimes find it hard to grasp what has happened in the past few years,” he said. “The other day, for example, Jürgen Klopp was talking with us. He is the club’s head of football… I only knew him from TV, a legend. And there he was, we shook hands, he hugged me, we talked a bit. I was extremely impressed. He told me to be patient.”

What it means for Rangers

Diomande’s comments add context to a missed opportunity for Rangers: a trialist who later fetched a major fee in one of Europe’s top leagues. He maintains there was no reluctance on his part to sign at Ibrox, pointing instead to agent demands as the stumbling block.

Site Opinion

There’s a familiar sting for Rangers in Diomande’s account. Talent identification clearly worked — he was in the building, on the pitch, and impressed enough to keep doors open — but the deal dynamics weren’t aligned. The player’s line that an agent “demanded too much money” is one version; regardless, it underlines the thin margins in recruitment where timing, trust and terms must converge.

Credit to Rangers’ scouting network for finding him; the lesson is operational. In a market where values can jump quickly, clubs need nimble frameworks to close for upside prospects without blowing wage structures. Diomande’s rise doesn’t prove a failure at Ibrox so much as it spotlights the gap between spotting potential and securing it — a gap Rangers must narrow if they’re to win more of these bets in the future.