Yan Diomande has indicated that joining Real Madrid was his ultimate ambition, despite reported interest from Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain before his move from Leipzig.
Liverpool were prepared to offer £86m for the Ivorian forward, according to Liverpool Echo, but Leipzig valued the player at more than £100m. The Premier League club subsequently ended its pursuit after it became clear that Diomande preferred a move to Paris Saint-Germain, the European champions.
However, Paris Saint-Germain were also unwilling to meet Leipzig’s asking price. Real Madrid then stepped in earlier this month to secure the young player in a deal worth up to £120m.
It has now emerged that Diomande had always hoped to represent Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, regardless of the interest shown by Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.
Michael Yormark, co-founder of Roc Nation, the agency representing Diomande, described a conversation between the player and his representative, Nathan Campbell, during which the Ivorian outlined his ambitions.
“Nathan Campbell, Diomande’s agent, sat down with the Ivorian player and spoke to him about his dreams and ambitions,” said Yormark.
Diomande then made clear that his goals extended beyond securing a major transfer. “I want to be the best player in the world, I want to win the Ballon d’Or, I want to win titles, and my biggest dream has always been to play for Real Madrid,” he said, according to Yormark.
The Roc Nation co-founder said the agency’s role was to create a pathway that could turn those ambitions into reality.
“We had to put the right plan in place to achieve his dream. We built a team around this young player. This deal represents a big moment for all of us as well. We took an ambitious young man and turned his ambition into reality,” Yormark explained.
Campbell, who is Roc Nation’s head of global football talent acquisition, also praised Diomande’s determination after the transfer was completed. In comments to SportsBoom.co.za, he described the agreement with Real Madrid as a reflection of the player’s exceptional work ethic.
“This historic deal with Real Madrid is a testament to Yan’s incredible work ethic,” said Campbell.
He added: “We could not be prouder to have played a part in completing the biggest transfer deal for an African player in the history of football.”
The move followed a period in which Diomande was linked with two of Europe’s leading clubs. Liverpool’s willingness to pay £86m was not enough to satisfy Leipzig, who placed a valuation of more than £100m on the player. Paris Saint-Germain also failed to reach that figure, allowing Real Madrid to complete a deal that could eventually rise to £120m.
Diomande’s comments suggest that the Spanish club was not simply the successful bidder in a competitive transfer process, but the destination he had targeted throughout his career.
