Yan Diomande is officially a Real Madrid player in a €100 million deal. Before talking about the transfer itself, I want to say that Real Madrid’s transfer window has been nothing short of incredible. By the end of it, if Mourinho does not succeed, the blame will be 100% on him. We are talking about Dumfries, Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Konaté, Diomande and possibly Rodri as well. How do you fail with that?
As for Diomande, what a signing. This is exactly what Real Madrid need: a balance between experience and the future. It was obvious they needed another right winger. Yes, you have Brahim Díaz who can play there, Güler, even Valverde if necessary, but you still need someone with greater prominence. I’m not saying Diomande is better than those players, but he is coming off a top-class season. His campaign with RB Leipzig was outstanding.
He did fall below expectations at the World Cup, that is true, but one tournament does not erase the level he showed throughout the season.
Eventually, and partly because of the transfer fee, there will be pressure on Diomande. Will it be enormous? Not really. That kind of pressure belongs to players like Bellingham, Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. Diomande will have time to develop, reach his peak and show even more because his potential is enormous.
Conclusion
This is not a signing that immediately takes Real Madrid to another level. Not yet. He is not a Rodri who transforms the midfield or a Cucurella who solves immediate problems, but the potential is incredibly high. What a Real Madrid squad. What a group of talent Mourinho will have at his disposal.