Diomandé on the Bench at €125M: Mourinho Preaches Patience to Real Madrid

Yan Diomandé is Real Madrid’s most expensive recruit in recent history — €125 million paid to Leipzig — yet the Ivorian international has not yet started a single Liga match since the season began. Over the first three matchdays, he has accumulated only 25, 6 and 26 minutes of playing time.

The 4-2-3-1 system installed by José Mourinho seemed designed to pair Diomandé with Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham. But the Portuguese manager has so far preferred to start Arda Güler twice, then Brahim Diaz. According to Spanish newspaper AS, it is Güler again who should start Friday night on the pitch at Betis.

Mourinho himself addressed the early questions after the victory against Malaga. « He must go step by step. He is working hard and well. He is open and humble, he is hungry to learn, he listens to his teammates, he will progress. I cannot focus on the 120 or 130 million… I must concentrate on a player who had an exceptional season at Leipzig. When we talk about such an astronomical sum, people imagine a player who arrives and impresses everyone. But that is not the case, he is young. Calm, no panic. »

According to AS, this gradual management also serves to reward Güler and Brahim Diaz, who were very prominent during the summer preparation. Mourinho intends to distribute playing time across the entire season, between Liga, Copa del Rey and the Ligue des Champions. With three wins in three matchdays, the record validates his decisions for now.