Spanish giant Real Madrid have signed Ivory Coast international Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig for a fee worth up to £120m (140m euros).
The 19-year-old winger has inked a seven-year deal, and his transfer fee might exceed the £115m (133.9m euros) that Real committed to Borussia Dortmund for Jude Bellingham in June 2023.
Paris Saint-Germain was leading the chase for the teenager, but the Champions League champions withdrew from a possible transfer on Sunday after a £102.5m offer was declined.
Should Real pay the complete £120m for Diomande, he would rank as the fourth most costly player ever, following PSG’s Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, along with Liverpool’s ex-Newcastle forward Alexander Isak.
Diomande is now the costliest African player, exceeding the £72m that Arsenal paid Lille for his compatriot Nicolas Pepe in 2019.
Diomande was once a target for Liverpool, who had an initial offer of £69m turned down in June, as they look for a replacement for Mohamed Salah, who transferred to Turkish club Trabzonspor on Thursday.
Diomande becomes Real’s sixth summer acquisition under new manager Jose Mourinho, following Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella, and Carlos Espi.
In a statement, the young individual expressed gratitude to Leipzig supporters for their “amazing backing” and remarked, “Who knows? “Perhaps we’ll cross paths again someday in the Champions League.”
However, he stated that the transition to Madrid “is a dream from my childhood that has been realized,” adding:
“I am even more thankful to the RB Leipzig management for facilitating this transfer despite my existing contract.”
He received the Bundesliga’s Young Player of the Season award for 2025-26, having netted 12 goals and provided eight assists in the tournament.
He played in all four of Ivory Coast’s World Cup matches as they were knocked out in the round of 32 by Norway.
Diomande relocated from his home country of Ivory Coast to a school in the United States before signing with Spanish club Leganes in 2025, subsequently joining Leipzig later that year.
