Mourinho defends Diomandé, signed for €140m and still too naive to dominate La Liga

José Mourinho defended Yan Diomandé after Real Madrid’s 4-0 victory over Malaga last weekend, publicly calling for patience with the 19-year-old Ivorian winger signed this summer for €140 million, bonuses included, from Leipzig.

Since arriving in Madrid, Diomandé has played only three brief spells — 20, 15 and 30 minutes — which has been enough to fuel early criticism about his level given the investment made by the Merengue. Mourinho dismissed these doubts outright. “Take it easy. He must progress step by step. He works well, he works hard. He is open, humble. He wants to learn, he wants to work, he listens to me, but he also listens to his teammates. He will improve,” said the Portuguese coach.

The “Special One” also put expectations linked to the transfer fee into perspective. “I cannot look at his transfer price. I must look at the young player with enormous potential, who has only one season at the highest level in the Bundesliga with Leipzig. Generally, when we talk about such a high amount, we talk about a player who arrives and crushes everything from the start. That is not the case here. He is too young, he is still too naive, he has incredible potential, but take your time.”

Diomandé’s path to the Bernabéu was not straightforward. The winger had initially agreed to join Paris Saint-Germain, but negotiations between the Parisian club and Leipzig stalled over the transfer fee. It was ultimately Real Madrid who won the race, offering him a seven-year contract running until June 2033, with a salary estimated between €7 and €9 million net per year according to several sources.

Aside from sporting news, the player made headlines on social media by being seen driving a yellow Lamborghini Urus, a model marketed from €263,700 new.