Real Madrid’s rough Diomande starting to shine as Leipzig visit
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Real Madrid’s Yan Diomande scored his first goal for the club against Villarreal on Oct 10 to secure a 1-0 win.
PHOTO: EPA
- Real Madrid paid a club-record 140 million euros for 19-year-old Yan Diomande, who is starting to shine with two goals and three assists in 11 games.
- Diomande has improved after a slow start, boosted by Vinicius Junior’s four-match ban, and Mourinho says he is “still not the finished article”.
- His rise has come after rejection and family tragedy, including his sister Roxane’s death, and he now faces former club Leipzig in the Champions League.
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MADRID – When Real Madrid splashed out a club-record €140 million (S$201 million) to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig in the summer, it was because of his clear potential to become one of the game’s stars, as showcased at the 2026 World Cup.
That talent has begun to unveil itself in recent matches, with Diomande lashing in a spectacular strike against Sevilla in La Liga on Oct 18, ahead of a re-encounter with his former side Leipzig in the Champions League on Oct 21.
The Ivorian’s sheer potential was not, however, the only reason Real forked out the money.
In June, club president Florentino Perez pledged to fans during his re-election campaign that he would pay a fee of that magnitude for a new star as Real tried to rebuild after two seasons without a major trophy.
Diomande had demonstrated exciting promise, shining with Leipzig during just one season in Germany after emerging at Spanish side Leganes.
The 19-year-old did not join Real to fill an obvious vacancy, with his arrival actually exacerbating an overbooking in attack.
On the same day Diomande’s transfer was announced, Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr signed a new deal with Los Blancos until 2032.
Real struggled last season to find balance with Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius on the pitch together, let alone throwing a new attacking star with a record price tag into the mix.
Given those factors, it should not come as a surprise that Diomande is still finding his footing in the Spanish capital.
The youngster has shown flashes of great quality, without yet firmly establishing himself as an essential figure for coach Jose Mourinho, although he is improving.
Diomande scored his first goal for the club against Villarreal on Oct 10, securing Real a 1-0 win.
The winger’s superb finish was not the main talking point, though, after Vinicius was dismissed later in the game and subsequently banned for four matches.
That opened the door further for Diomande to settle in, with the winger starting on the left wing in the 4-1 rout of Sevilla on Oct 18, when he lashed home from long range in the final stages.
Diomande also assisted the opener for Arda Guler in his best performance for the club so far. In total, he has two goals and three assists in 11 appearances across all competitions.
“He has a lot to improve; he’s young, he’s still naive, he’s still not the finished article,” Mourinho said on Oct 18.
“At Real Madrid, the demands are very high... but he had a great game; he’s growing.”
‘I will die trying’
Diamonds form under pressure, and so far in his career, Diomande has handled it on and off the pitch.
He suffered rejection after leaving the Ivory Coast to attend school in Florida, where he was unable to reach a deal with Major League Soccer sides Charlotte FC and Colorado Rapids.
Eventually, the winger’s senior debut came with Leganes against Real in March 2025, and in 10 games for the club, he netted twice, earning himself a move to Germany.
Diomande helped Leipzig reach the Champions League with 12 goals and eight assists, and was named Rookie of the Year in the Bundesliga before his move to Madrid.
The winger said he is spurred on by tragedy in his life.
His sister Roxane died aged 15 in 2025 after her drink was spiked, Diomande said in an open letter published by The Players’ Tribune in June.
“You were the one who always believed that I could be the next Cristiano (Ronaldo), when everybody else laughed,” Diomande wrote to his late sister.
“You were telling everybody, ‘My brother is going to be the greatest in the world’. I will prove that you were right, or I will die trying,” he added.
At the home of the record 15-time European champions, Diomande has the platform to do that.
“He has to improve his finishing... assist better... but that will come,” Mourinho said.
“I remember when Vinicius arrived (and struggled), and in two or three years Vinicius was a top-drawer player.”
Vinicius is not suspended in Europe, but Diomande will be hoping Mourinho gives him another chance to shine against his former side Leipzig on Oct 21, as Real aim for a third win in three Champions League games. AFP