Real Madrid agree £115.8m deal for RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande
Diomande will become the most expensive African footballer ever should the deal be completed.
Real Madrid have agreed a £115.8million deal with RB Leipzig for teenage Ivory Coast forward Yan Diomande, the Press Association understands.
Diomande’s rapid rise for Leipzig in the Bundesliga last season led to a host of Europe’s top clubs queuing up to buy him and Real appear to have won the race for his signature after tabling a fee of 135m euros.
Diomande will become the most expensive African footballer ever should the deal be completed.
Paris St Germain pulled out of the race to sign him last month, leaving the way clear for Madrid to close in on the 19-year-old, who scored 13 goals and made 10 assists for Leipzig during the 2025-26 campaign.
Diomande’s extraordinary progress is a classic rags-to-riches story. He had trials with Chelsea, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Rangers before being offered a contract with Spanish side Leganes in March 2025.
He made just 10 appearances for Leganes, scoring two goals, before Leipzig signed him for a reported £20m the following July, while he started all four games for the Ivory Coast as they reached the last 32 at this summer’s World Cup.