Yan Diomande of Real Madrid
Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website
Yan Diomande is now Real Madrid’s most expensive signing of all time, and the club’s decision to splash €140 million on his arrival speaks volumes about how highly they rate him.
The youngster arrives to reinforce the club’s right-wing department – a position they have suffered in for a long time now without a natural option.
His debut was initially expected for tomorrow when the team play their penultimate pre-season friendly.
However, he has been excluded from the squad for lacking match fitness, and all signs point to his much-awaited debut coming at the weekend in the team’s final pre-season game.
The new Real Madrid signing spoke to Real Madrid TV earlier this week where he was asked about a plethora of topics related to his transfer and new club.
He first began by explaining how Real Madrid was always his dream club and how it felt to fulfil that dream.
“I am proud and happy because this was my dream. When I was a child I wanted to play for the biggest clubs in the world. I am grateful to be here and I am happy and proud. I want my family to be proud of me.”
“This is the biggest club in the world and everyone wants to come here. I am grateful to be here and I want to share my happiness with everyone. I want to be part of the team’s triumphs,” he added.
Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid
Mourinho played a big role in Diomande’s arrival. (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images)
The Ivory Coast international then went on to thank the manager Jose Mourinho who personally pushed for the transfer and also the board for going through with the transaction.
“I want to thank the coach because we had a conversation before and I’m here thanks to him and the club, of course.”
“I’m happy. Thank you for this signing and thank you to the club and the coach for believing in me,” he added.
The youngster was then asked about the teammates he interacted with in the dressing room and what he hoped to learn from his peers.
“It’s always good to have great players in the locker room. You learn from them. As I said, I saw them on TV and today we share the same wardrobe. It’s incredible.”
Stepping into Real Madrid, the winger will now be held against much higher standards given the sky-high expectations from the club. Speaking on the same, he said,
“It’s different. This is harder. It’s normal because it’s the biggest club. You need to work harder than in other clubs to be the best in the world. And that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Yan Diomande of Real Madrid
Diomande could make his debut this weekend. (Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website)
Diomande then opened up on his personality and admitted how he was as a person off the field.
“I’m a little shy to talk and I want to learn the dynamics of the team to help achieve many successes together.”
Towards the end of his interview, the club’s most expensive signing was asked why he chose to sign for Real Madrid, especially given that he had a deal agreed with PSG much prior.
“Because it’s the best club in the world. When Madrid calls you, you can’t say no. It’s that simple.”
Finally, he was asked to confess his ambitions with the club and all that he aimed to conquer while defending the Real Madrid crest.
“Have many successes with the club and help the team win everything. I am very happy to be here and I hope to have a lot of success in the team. Hala Madrid!”
Yan Diomande, Ivory Coast and RB Leipzig player
Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
The new season is quickly approaching for Real Madrid as they continue to blitz through their pre-season friendlies in preparation for the first official La Liga clash.
Tomorrow, they will take part in their penultimate pre-season friendly and it will be against Deportivo La Coruna in the Teresa Herrera Trophy clash.
Earlier today, Jose Mourinho released his official squad list for the clash on Wednesday and most of the expected names featured on the list including Vinicius Jr. and Endrick have been called up.
The big surprise, however, was the exclusion of the club’s new signing Yan Diomande.
Now, as reported by Mario Penalver in a recent update, Diomande’s exclusion from the matchday squad was down to a lack of match-fitness.
Yan Diomande, RB Leipzig star
Diomande is lacking match-fitness. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)
Despite arriving at the club facilities last Friday, the Ivory Coast international has only had two training sessions with the group and is far from as fit as necessary for a pre-season clash.
He will, thus, cheer his new teammates from the sidelines on the night and look to make progress for the team’s final pre-season game against Schalke on Sunday.
With a few more training sessions under his belt by then, the player will be ready to make his debut for the club.
Real Madrid shelled out a fortune to land Diomande this summer with the negotiations spanning across multiple weeks before an agreement could be reached.
Eventually, the Merengues agreed to a gross package of €140 million for the former RB Leipzig ace.
Real Madrid’s costliest signing of all time. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
As a result of that agreement, Diomande is now Real Madrid’s most expensive signing of all time. While it is a prestigious record to hold, it is one that comes with massive expectations.
Adapting to the pressure at Real Madrid is not for everyone, and to adjust to the high standards of the club while also handling the pressure of the price tag is a very difficult challenge.
Diomande, undoubtedly, will have the same pressure on his shoulders as he nears his debut.
His season will have to be phenomenal to justify his price tag, and it is thus important that he starts strong with a debut this weekend.