Real Madrid has reached an agreement with RB Leipzig for the transfer of 19-year-old Ivorian winger Yan Diomande for a fee of €135 million. This makes it the most expensive signing in the history of the white club, surpassing the €127 million paid for Bellingham.
Real Madrid has completed the most costly operation in its history. The white club has reached an agreement with RB Leipzig for the transfer of 19-year-old Ivorian winger Yan Diomande for a total amount of €135 million. The deal includes a fixed fee of €115 million and variables worth €20 million, in addition to intermediary commissions.
Leipzig has remained firm in the negotiations from the outset. The Germans, owned by the Red Bull group, rejected an initial offer of €100 million and a second of €120 million. Their inflexible stance has forced Real Madrid to raise the proposal to €135 million, a figure that exceeds the €127 million paid for Jude Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund in 2023 and the €120 million for Eden Hazard from Chelsea in 2019.
The player, who was still training with Leipzig at the club's facilities on Monday, is expected to join José Mourinho's squad at Ciudad Real Madrid this week. The player's desire to return to the Spanish capital has been crucial in finalising the agreement, according to sources close to the operation. Diomande is already familiar with the city: last season he was on loan at Leganés, where he played ten matches and scored two goals before being transferred to Leipzig for €20 million.
Leipzig's inflexible attitude also led Paris Saint-Germain to abandon their attempt to acquire the player. The French club issued a statement explaining their withdrawal: "Paris Saint-Germain has officially withdrawn its interest this evening and has ended all negotiations for Yan Diomande. The amount demanded for the transfer, as well as the salary expectations, were completely disproportionate and of such a nature that they would have destabilised the market." PSG added that they will not deviate from their principles of rigorous financial management.
Diomande has a total of 56 professional matches: 32 with Leipzig, 14 with the Ivory Coast national team, and 10 with Leganés, scoring a total of 14 goals. Although his numbers do not fully justify the €135 million, the white club bets on his enormous potential. The operation marks a shift in Real Madrid's signing policy, which until now had focused on acquiring promising players at younger ages, such as Vinícius, Rodrygo, Endrick, or Mastantuono.
President Florentino Pérez decided to enter a bidding war with one of the so-called state clubs, a strategy that was not common for the club. The controversy among Madrid fans regarding the high price of the operation has not prevented the agreement from being finalised. In the coming hours, Real Madrid will officially announce the signing of the winger.
This will not be the only addition of the summer. The white club has also reached an agreement with Rodrigo Hernández, a midfielder from Manchester City, although the operation will be approached calmly. The player will undergo surgery in the coming days for a back injury and will be sidelined for several weeks, allowing time to negotiate with the English club, which has one more year of contract with the player.
For Real Madrid fans, the arrival of Diomande represents a luxury reinforcement for the attack, although the price has sparked debate. The player will join training this week and could make his debut in the upcoming pre-season matches.
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