Real Madrid are expected to reach an agreement to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig, while Paris Saint-Germain have withdrawn from negotiations for Ivory Coast international
Madrid had an initial bid for Diomande rejected by Leipzig around 10 days ago and returned with an improved offer more recently — worth €120million, which includes a €100m fixed fee
The proposal has yet to receive a response from Leipzig and is also expected to be turned down, however there is confidence on all sides that a deal will be struck in due course
PSG of anonymity to protect relationships, indicated that the club are not prepared to meet Leipzig’s asking price for a transfer fee nor the player’s salary demands, and that the French champions would continue with other plans in the transfer market
As the window has progressed, Diomande has made Madrid his preference for a summer move. Diomande had previously made PSG his destination of choice — but the European champions had not yet shown a willingness to offer a level of fee that would convince Leipzig to consider a sale this summer
Leipzig are expected to speak to the 19-year-old on Monday when he returns to the club, where he is expected to communicate his wish to join Madrid
Leipzig have been holding out for a fee closer to €130m while also trying to tie Diomande, who is contracted until 2030, to a new deal — and have been hopeful he will remain at the club beyond the summer window
The Athletic reported on Friday that Madrid had entered the race to sign the 19-year-old Ivory Coast international and were in talks with Leipzig over a move
That followed a report from The Athletic on June 24 that Madrid considering a move for a right-sided forward this summer in case Brahim Diaz were to depart
Madrid have had a busy summer with Jose Mourinho returning as head coach and the club moving quickly to strengthen the squad with Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries among the arrivals
The Athletic reported on Friday the club were working on a deal to sign Rodri, the World Cup’s Golden Ball winner, from Manchester City
Diomande scored 12 goals and provided nine assists in 33 Bundesliga matches — missing just one league game, due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations — last season, his first for Leipzig
Yan DiomandeIvory Coast
Frighteningly quick and one of the most coveted talents on the planet
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A deal for Diomande is likely to be Leipzig’s record sale, exceeding the fees they received for Benjamin Sekso from Manchester United in 2025 (€76.5m plus add-ons) or the €90m that Manchester City paid the club to sign Josko Gvardiol in 2023
Diomande played in each of Ivory Coast’s four World Cup matches this summer, with his nation eliminated in the round-of-32 by Norway
One of the most coveted talents on the planet
Analysis by football data writer Thomas Harris
Barely 18 months ago, Diomande was playing his football for DME Sports Academy in Florida. Now impressing at this summer’s World Cup, he is one of the most coveted players on the planet
The Ivorian’s ascent has been frighteningly quick, crashing his way through European football in a whirlwind of zig-zagging runs and emphatic finishes. It began at Spanish side Leganes, where he spent three months with the reserves after his arrival from the United States, before earning his professional debut against Real Madrid. His first goal soon followed, quickly backed up with statement performances against Villarreal and Real Valladolid — games in which his prodigious dribbling ability became clear.
Barely 500 minutes of football was all it took to convince RB Leipzig to make their move, and Diomande has continued to thrive as the chief outlet down the flanks at the Bundesliga club. No player in the German top flight has tried to dribble past an opponent more often last season, while his success rate is the highest of any winger across Europe with at least 50 take-on attempts. He is one of the few wide players in world football who genuinely combines quantity and quality out wide
Diomande enjoyed a fine debut season for RB Leipzig (Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
The 19-year-old’s rapid feet and slender figure allow him to dart quickly in either direction, but there is also a sense of power and springiness to Diomande’s dribbling when he is in full flow, able to bounce from challenge to challenge and keep the ball moving forward at speed. It makes him a potent weapon on the counter-attack, where his dribbling fluency translates to a smooth shooting action. He is capable of shifting the ball quickly and generating power and accuracy with both feet
Such unpredictability was on display in the Bundesliga run-in; he clinched a late win against Borussia Monchengladbach with a shimmy and a thumping finish on his left in early April, before opening the scoring away at Eintracht Frankfurt seven days later after a mazy run, a chop inside and a curling shot with his right
Diomande has already adapted to the international stage, too, scoring three times in 14 appearances for Ivory Coast and making his mark at the Africa Cup of Nations and in helping his country progress from a tough group including Germany and Ecuador at the World Cup
