Real Madrid made the most expensive signing in its history

**Real Madrid make most expensive transfer in history**

After two seasons without a trophy, Real Madrid have become one of the most active clubs in the transfer market this summer. Yann Diomande has joined the ranks of names such as Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries and Bernardo Silva.

**Rivalry between top clubs and record transfer**

As expected, Real Madrid have officially announced the transfer of 19-year-old Ivorian winger Yann Diomande. The deal is the most expensive purchase in the history of the Madrid club. According to reports, Real will pay Leipzig 125 million euros for the player, plus another 15 million euros in bonuses. This is a more expensive transfer than Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard and Jude Bellingham.

Several top clubs have competed for Diomande this summer. Leipzig did not give in to the price and came out of the negotiations with the maximum profit. Before the World Cup, Diomande's name was linked with Liverpool, who were looking for a new winger to replace Salah. Later, Arsenal and Manchester City also showed serious interest in him. However, the Ivorian player did not like the option of playing in England and preferred the offer of PSG. Insiders reported that his transfer to the Parisians was in the final stages, but unexpectedly Real Madrid also joined the race and finally won him.

The market heated up, and Leipzig continued to increase the price. As a result, PSG left the negotiations, explaining this by the principles of sound financial management and maintaining a balance in the squad. After that, only Real remained and insider Fabrizio Romano used his famous phrase "Here we go", but the transfer was delayed and only more than a week later the official announcement was made.

**Why did the transfer take so long?**

It took ten days from Romano's confirmation to the official announcement. According to AS, the reason for this was a dispute between the player's former agency, Maxidel Management, run by Max Gradel (a former Ivorian footballer), and his current representatives, Roc Nation.

Maxidel claimed that Diomande had unilaterally terminated the contract. The agency complained to FIFA, noting that Real Madrid had negotiated with Roc Nation despite the player having obligations to another company.

However, this is not the only reason for the transfer delay. Leipzig managing director Marcel Schäfer said a few days ago that the agency dispute could not ruin the deal and that the clubs had not yet reached a final agreement. It seems that, in addition to the dispute between the player's representatives, the transfer was also delayed by negotiations between Real Madrid and Leipzig.

In any case, the deal was finally done, and Diomande broke Real Madrid's transfer record (previously, Jude Bellingham was paid 103 million euros in 2023, plus 20-30 million in bonuses), becoming the most expensive player in the world. If the bonuses are paid in full, Madrid will pay the Germans a total of 140 million euros, which would make the Ivorian one of the five most valuable players (only Neymar, Mbappe, Dembele and Isak are ahead of him).

According to Sky Germany, 10 million of the 15 million euros in bonuses are easy money, while the rest is subject to somewhat stricter conditions. But even if the final price is 135 million euros, the Ivorian will be in the top 8 transfers.

**Footballer profile**

Diomande is distinguished by his ability to pose a threat on both flanks. His main foot is right, he started his career as a left winger and often moved from the wing to the center. But last season he spent 61 percent of his playing time on the right wing and only 27 percent of his time on the opposite wing.

Therefore, the Ivorian will not have to compete with Vinicius, who remains at Real Madrid, for the left wing. Diomande was bought precisely for the right wing, and the main formation under Mourinho will most likely be 4-2-3-1.

Will the new player help Real Madrid become even stronger? This is a debatable question. There is no doubt about the player's potential and talent. He is young, strong and has excellent dribbling, a winger who is equally mobile with both feet. According to StatMuse, Diomande made 115 successful passes in the Bundesliga last season - no other player in the Bundesliga even managed to reach 70. Only Lamine Yamal has managed more in the top five leagues.

In the Bundesliga, Jan has played 33 games, scoring 12 goals and providing 9 assists. These are good numbers, but not phenomenal. At the same time, he has achieved very good results in terms of taking advantage of his opportunities: he has scored 12 goals with an xG of 7. However, it is important to note that he has been lucky in some of his opportunities, and when he is not lucky, his productivity can decrease.

**Unexpected rise**

Jan has played only 10 games for his previous club, Leganes, and his professional career has only lasted an incomplete season and a half.

But as soon as he arrived at the German club, he began to impress. A training camp in Switzerland last summer was enough for him to start the new season in the starting lineup. He scored a hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt and was awarded a “1” point (the highest grade) by Bild. At the end of the season, he was recognized as the best debutant in the Bundesliga.

However, he was not accepted into the reserve teams of Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Rangers, Olympiacos and even MLS clubs.

According to Diomande, after a trial at the Palace base in London, Oliseh and Eberechi Eze came to him and said, “Boy, you are really playing well.” But then there was no offer from the English club, his visa expired and Jan returned to Africa in tears. His childhood was generally very difficult.

“We used to go to the village with other children to steal potatoes because we were very hungry. We also organized a ‘bank robbery’. Two children would distract the shopkeeper, while the other 18 children would run away with two potatoes each. The potatoes were not fresh. But to us they tasted amazing. Ha-ha! This is still my favorite food. Boiled potatoes with butter. It reminds me of those times. When I got my first real football boots, I slept in them. When I was a child, I always played in white plastic sandals. I still play in them when I get home. It’s a tradition.”

When others doubted Diomande’s future, his sister Roxanne was the one who had the most faith in him. She died a few weeks after Yan made his professional debut (against Real Madrid in La Liga). At that party, something was spiked in Roxana's cocktail and she fainted. She always said that her brother would become a great player in the future.

"I will prove you right or I will give my life to prove it," Diomande concluded his letter to The Players Tribune.

**Now it's all in Mourinho's hands**

No one doubts his talent anymore, but that's not all. Real Madrid have two superstars in the attack who are not yet able to adapt to each other and who are hardly involved in the defense. That is why in previous seasons Madrid have played in a 4-4-2 formation, leaving Mbappe and Vinicius up front when they are without the ball. Four midfielders behind the strikers have done a lot of work for them.

Diomande is not lazy. Most likely, when he is off the ball, he will be required to cover the right wing, where he will partner either Trent Alexander-Arnold or Denzel Dumfries, depending on the coach's choice. Both of them are attacking full-backs and cannot boast of defensive qualities. Federico Valverde could come to the rescue in this area, but in this case someone will have to cover the position he left. How to place all these players and at the same time not disrupt the structure is a big question for Mourinho.

The ability to play equally on both feet will come in handy for Diomande in his interaction with the wing-backs in attack. When playing with Trent, he can provide width on the right wing, while the English defender moves more centrally to create chances. In a pair with Dumfries, Jan himself will move to play the inside role and leave the wing to his partner.

The club has always had enough players on the right wing, but the players have been constantly changing. In fact, for the first time in a long time, the team has a player who specializes in this position. Rodrigo, who was originally considered a left winger, was forced to play on the right wing. This did not allow the Brazilian to fully demonstrate his potential. In addition, he has been prone to injuries recently and has not yet recovered from a torn cruciate ligament.

Mastantuono, who was brought in from Argentina last summer, did not live up to the trust and was loaned to Fiorentina this summer. Valverde can also play in this position, but it is clear that this is not his main role. The coaching staff also had the option of Endrik, but he feels better as a central striker. There is also one of the club's summer transfers, Bernardo Silva, but due to his age and reduced speed, it is more comfortable for him to play in the center.

In recent years, the left wing has become the main focus of Real Madrid's attacks. During Ancelotti's time, it was a style to deliberately fill this wing with players. At the same time, such a specificity made the team dependent on one wing and prevented them from organizing positional attacks. The arrival of Diomande can correct this shortcoming, but it is also necessary to install it without disrupting the structure.

The Real Madrid management has given Mourinho almost all the players he wanted. He has a wide squad and diverse opportunities at his disposal. Finding a place on the field for all the stars under his command may also become a problem. Most likely, during the season, fans will witness various experiments and changes in schemes. Someone may also complain about the lack of game practice.

After such a large-scale transfer campaign and replenishment of the squad, the coach should have no objections. Jose can build any model he wants with so many top-level players. The coming season will show how well he can use this opportunity.