Mourinho makes €125m Real Madrid decision that could derail Yan Diomande

11 Sept 2026 13:51 BST | 4 min read

Yan Diomande, Real Madrid, 2026/27 — © IMAGO

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

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Yan Diomande’s difficult start to life at Real Madrid has become a great deal more complicated over the course of the last week, with Jose Mourinho having taken a major decision that has significant repercussions for the club’s record signing.

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Diomande has yet to start for Los Blancos since completing a €125 million transfer from RB Leipzig this summer, and though he has made five substitute appearances, he has not impressed.

While Mourinho previously tried to insist this is all part of Madrid’s long-term plan for the 18-year-old, yet the manager has been forced to reassess his own position in recent days in a move that is set to hamper the adaptation of the summer signing.

Current ETV

Yan Diomande

F (RL), M (L)

Real Madrid

Yan Diomande

F (RL), M (L)

Real Madrid

ETV Range

€38.9M - €64.8M

Diomande not even in Mourinho’s thinking for Rayo Vallecano

Brahim Diaz’s impressive Champions League display against Inter Milan has pushed him above Diomande in the hierarchy, leaving the Ivory Coast international third choice as he also trails Arda Guler, according to AS.

The Madrid-based source gives a concerning look into the difficulty that Diomande faces in terms of winning game time at the Bernabeu, stating:

“The competition is fierce for his position, and Yan knows it. Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz, Rodrygo (when he returns from injury), and even Endrick can all play in a sector that, once deserted, is now overcrowded. The Turk has been the most frequently started player on that wing. Brahim Díaz earned his second start of the season against Inter Milan, and he proved himself. The absences of Rodrygo and Endrick (now recovered) make the Ivorian the third option at present.”

Upon signing for Madrid, Diomande had the comparative luxury of Rodrygo facing a long-term knee injury, but even with the Brazilian forecast to be out until January, his route into the first team is not clear. Once Rodrygo returns, the situation will only become more complicated for him.

And Mourinho seemed to double down on this position in his press conference on Friday, not mentioning Diomande among players who could be rotated into the team. Instead, he name-checked Guler and Bernardo Silva, seemingly freezing the record signing out of the equation for Saturday’s La Liga fixture with Rayo Vallecano at the Bernabeu.

Diomande could soon find himself lost

Diomande’s transfer fee already looked big at €125 million, particularly since both Liverpool and PSG backed away from the deal at such a price. But the difficult adaptation process that the Ivory Coast international has had already raises doubts over what lies ahead for him at the Bernabeu.

If he fails to win over Mourinho before the return of Rodrygo, he is in danger of being lost in a big and talented squad.

Madrid bet a lot on Diomande this summer. Mourinho reverted to type by loading his squad with veteran talent, yet more than half the transfer budget was blown on the Ivorian.

Even if the expectation was not for Diomande to explode immediately upon his return to Spain, where he previously played with Leganes, there was certainly no suggestion that Los Blancos were ready for him to fall out of Mourinho’s thinking so quickly.