So, the bomb has arrived. Madrid is going all in for Yan Diomande, a very young player from Ivory Coast, only 19 years old.
€120M for him! Is he worth it? He is a right-footed player, but can he perform the same on the right wing? Can he dribble? Can he pass? How is his shooting? Let's break everything down.
Yan Diomande is a classic 1v1 winger who combines elite athleticism, dribbling, and ball carrying with smart decision-making in the final third. He has been playing for Leipzig in the Bundesliga and had a very good season. He also impressed at the World Cup, especially considering his age.
How he is?
On the ball, Diomande usually stays wide near the touchline, but he also tracks back, presses aggressively when needed, drops deep to support the full-backs, and reacts quickly to loose balls and rebounds. He works hard for the badge and is not the type of winger who waits in the final third for the ball.
In terms of playmaking, Diomande has many qualities. He is comfortable playing passes between the lines or delivering crosses. He created 17 big chances for his teammates, ranking 5th in the Bundesliga during the 2025/26 season.
However, he is at his best in transition, playing low crosses and cut-backs into dangerous areas. Like Vini, he shines when there is space to attack. With time, he should become even better against low blocks, which is an important quality for any top club.
Yan Diomande has also shown that he can score goals. He even scored a hat-trick. He scored 12 goals from 53 shots, averaging one goal every 4.4 shots, which is outstanding.
Six goals came from the right side of the penalty spot, and six came from the left side. Also, 49% of his shots were on target. So yes, we can say he is a very good finisher, especially considering his age.
On the ball, he is very calm, and his dribbling is absolutely top class.
His 118 successful dribbles in the Bundesliga last season were 50 more than any other player in the league. Across Europe's top five leagues, only Lamine Yamal recorded more, with 133.
His 59.6% dribble success rate was the best among the 50 players with the most dribble attempts in Europe's top five leagues.
Yes, considering his age and that it was his first season at Leipzig, he still has a lot to improve, and he has plenty of time because he is so young. His weaknesses are his lack of aerial presence. He also focuses a lot on dribbling, which sometimes causes him to lose the ball, and his decision-making can occasionally hurt the team, although it is not a major problem. Overall, he is a great package for his age. After Gareth Bale, we have not had a proper right winger, so signing Diomande would be a very positive move.
Now let's talk about whether he can play on the right wing. Of course he can. He has played most of his matches on the right wing. If you look at his stats, they are almost the same on both sides. Fifty percent of his goals came from the left side and fifty percent from the right side. If you still doubt his ability on the right wing, I won't tell you to watch all of his Bundesliga matches. 😂 Just watch the match against Ecuador, a low-block team with one of the best defences in the world. They kept clean sheets in almost 80% of their World Cup qualifying matches and have players like Pacho, Caicedo, and Hincapié. I won't tell you how well he played. Just go and watch the match. That game alone is enough to make you a fan of him.
Now let's talk about his price tag. €130M is a lot of money for him, but how many top right wingers are available on the market? The answer is very few. Clubs like Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and PSG (if Madrid don't sign him, he will probably go there) are all interested in him. So yes, the price will be high, and that's normal. I am not here to say whether he is overpriced or worth it. My job is simply to tell you about the player.
So, if everything goes well and we sign him, it will be a great move for both sides. Let's hope for the best.