Oliver Mintzlaff, the managing director of Red Bulls’ stable of football clubs, has made clear that RB Leipzig will demand €100 million for Yan Diomande and expect the Ivory Coast international to remain in Saxony for the foreseeable future. Diomande joined from Leganés for €20 million over the summer and has since been described as a breakout performer for Leipzig.

Clubs reportedly tracking the 2025/26 surprise package include Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, according to The Athletic. Leipzig have already rebuffed offers as high as €90 million for the player this season, a sign the club are prepared to hold firm rather than cash in after one campaign.

“The way he played in his first few games, I’d be surprised if no top club was interested in him,” Leipzig centre back Willi Orban gushed this year. “It’s only logical that these clubs would take notice.”

Mintzlaff spelled out his view to Sky Sport Germany, rejecting the idea of a quick sale. “With such a young player that we just signed, you can’t give him away after just one year,” Mintzlaff scoffed to Sky Sport Germany recently. “In recent years, RB Leipzig has worked out that even top players can certainly stay longer. As chairman of the supervisory board, I would say that he will still be there next season, even if an offer of €80 million or €90 million comes.”

Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer offered a similarly confident assessment of the club’s negotiating position. “There’s not even anyone in the passenger seat,” he gloated when judging the progress made by any potential suitors. “Everyone’s in the back.”

Bayern Munich have also been drawn into speculation around Diomande, with sporting director Christoph Freund following Leipzig’s line by declining to discuss a rival while addressing suggestions about the player. For now, Leipzig have set a clear valuation and signalled they are in no hurry to sell.

“The Best Things in Life Are Free” is a neat slogan for football transfer windows that open without fees. With the 2025–26 season at its midpoint, attention is already turning to a group of established professionals whose contracts expire this summer.

Harry Wilson remains one of the most potent left-footed attackers in England. The Fulham creative has supplied curled free-kicks, cushioned volleys and precise through balls that have become integral to his team’s play. He is entering the final months of his deal and a move away from Craven Cottage appears likely.

Quinten Timber has impressed as a versatile, intelligent midfielder for Feyenoord. A genuine box-to-box engine, he can break up attacks with aggressive tackles and interceptions and then drive transitions with incisive passes and surging runs. Out of contract this summer, he is reportedly attracting interest from Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund.

Leon Goretzka has reclaimed a starting role under Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich after a season that seemed to signal the end of his time at the Allianz Arena. With six months left on his contract, the Germany international’s future is uncertain. He has reinvented himself from a sleek playmaker into an all-action midfielder and remains a technically sharp, versatile professional.

Bernardo Silva continues to operate at the top level despite Manchester City’s transition and a focus on younger players. Pep described him as “one of the best players I have ever coached,” and although a return to Portugal with Benfica is reported as a possibility, no decision has been finalised.

Julian Brandt has quietly been one of Germany’s creative talents for Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund. His contract runs out in June and he appears to have slipped down Niko Kovač’s pecking order, prompting the prospect of a fresh start.

Rúben Neves left Wolverhampton Wanderers for Al-Hilal in 2023 and now, in his late twenties, a return to Europe seems inevitable. Manchester United have been linked.

Mike Maignan nearly joined Chelsea last summer before that move collapsed. His AC Milan contract expires at season’s end. He has a clean sheet record approaching 40% and has won league titles with Lille and Milan while offering strong reflexes and an ability to play from the back.

Bayern want to keep Dayot Upamecano but have not convinced him to extend. Several top clubs are reportedly monitoring him. He combines pace, strength and aerial presence with notable improvement on the ball.

Dušan Vlahović is set to leave Juventus after a turbulent spell in Turin. Despite inconsistency linked to managerial upheaval and limited support, he has continued to score. The 25-year-old remains a physically imposing striker with a powerful right foot and time to fulfil further potential.

2025 became a year defined by prolonged recoveries and recurring setbacks for a run of leading players. Long absences and repeated rehabilitation programmes limited availability across several clubs and competitions.

At Arsenal the season was hit by injuries to key forwards. Kai Havertz had never suffered a serious injury prior to a hamstring tear that sidelined him for three months at the end of last season. After playing in Arsenal’s opening day victory over Manchester United, the 26-year-old was forced to undergo knee surgery and has been sidelined ever since, although a recent return to training has lifted spirits. Gabriel Jesus tore his ACL in January during an FA Cup clash with Man Utd and has only recently returned to be an option for the manager.

Barcelona endured a troubled period in goal and defence. Marc-André ter Stegen returned in December but has been usurped as first-choice following the summer signing of Joan García. Ter Stegen, briefly stripped of the captaincy amid his injury woes, played just five games for club and country in 2025 after missing the first four months of the year and a further four-and-a-half months at the start of the current campaign. Andreas Christensen missed the bulk of the calendar year through five separate fitness issues and a fresh injury in December will sideline him for a number of months.

Bayern Munich saw several first-team players affected. Jamal Musiala missed the end of Bayern’s title-winning campaign before a broken leg and ankle dislocation at the Club World Cup left him out until a recent return to team training. Alphonso Davies suffered an ACL tear in March and has only recently returned to action.

Chelsea’s Roméo Lavia suffered five separate injuries during 2025 and has made just 11 appearances in the 2025–26 season to date, presently sidelined with a muscle strain. Manchester City’s Rodri never got the chance to back up his 2024 Ballon d’Or victory after an ACL injury kept him out until last May; a hamstring suffered at the Club World Cup has limited him to eight appearances since that tournament.

Manchester United’s Lisandro Martínez missed over nine months after an ACL injury in February, returning in late November. Real Madrid endured recurring problems: Éder Militão missed almost the entirety of last term through an ACL tear, has suffered two further muscle injuries this season and faces a return timeline until April 2026. Dani Carvajal has managed just eight appearances since the Club World Cup and is currently sidelined with a knee problem. David Alaba missed all of 2024 and has since been struck by four separate ailments, absent for 30 matches across the calendar year.

Elsewhere, Neymar suffered six separate injuries for Santos and Brazil and required a knee operation in December, while Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski missed eight months across 2025. The season underlined how quickly injury can derail momentum for top-level players and teams alike.