Real Madrid have completed the signing of Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig in a deal that could rise to £120m.
The 19-year-old has agreed a seven-year contract with the Spanish giants, making him one of the most expensive young players in football history. If all performance-related add-ons are triggered, the final fee would exceed the £115m package Real agreed with Borussia Dortmund for Jude Bellingham in 2023.
Paris Saint-Germain had been leading the race for Diomande before withdrawing from negotiations after Leipzig rejected an offer worth around £102.5m. Liverpool had also shown strong interest earlier in the summer and reportedly saw a £69m proposal turned down in June.
Should Real ultimately pay the full £120m, Diomande would become the fourth most expensive player ever, behind Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Alexander Isak.
The transfer also makes him the most expensive African footballer in history, moving him ahead of Nicolas Pepe, who joined Arsenal from Lille for £72m in 2019.
Diomande becomes Real Madrid’s sixth signing of the summer under new head coach Jose Mourinho. The club have already added Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella and Carlos Espi as part of a major squad rebuild.
His move follows a breakout season in Germany. Diomande was named the Bundesliga’s Young Player of the Season for 2025-26 after scoring 12 league goals and providing eight assists for Leipzig.
He also featured in all four of Ivory Coast’s matches at the World Cup before the national team was eliminated by Norway in the round of 32.
Diomande’s rise has been rapid. After leaving Ivory Coast to continue his development at an academy in the United States, he joined Spanish side Leganes in 2025 before moving to RB Leipzig later the same year.
The winger expressed his appreciation to Leipzig and their supporters following confirmation of the transfer, while describing the opportunity to play for Real Madrid as the fulfilment of a long-held ambition.
His arrival gives Mourinho another major attacking option as Real continue to reshape their squad following their Champions League triumph.