Mourinho shields Real Madrid’s £108m winger from early pressure after Betis defeat

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has no intention of changing his carefully managed plan for Yan Diomande, despite the club’s first defeat of the season and growing scrutiny surrounding their record signing.

Real Madrid completed the arrival of six new first-team players during the summer, with Diomande regarded as the most significant of those additions. The Ivorian winger became the most expensive signing in the history of the Spanish club after moving from RB Leipzig.

Mourinho’s side suffered their first loss of the campaign on Friday, when they were beaten 1-0 by Real Betis. Troy Parrott scored the deciding goal late in the match, a result which has increased attention on both the team and Diomande.

According to Tribuna, however, the setback has not altered Real Madrid’s approach to the 19-year-old. The club’s plan remains to introduce him gradually rather than place him immediately under the intense pressure created by his transfer fee.

Reliable journalist Alvaro Esteban reported that Mourinho intends to continue integrating Diomande step by step. The manager is understood to be wary of allowing the size of the player’s move to dictate his involvement or expose him too quickly to expectations surrounding the record deal.

Diomande has played 57 minutes across Real Madrid’s opening three La Liga matches. His limited involvement reflects the cautious strategy being used by Mourinho since the player’s arrival and indicates that the club’s thinking has not changed following the defeat by Real Betis.

The winger joined Real Madrid from RB Leipzig for an initial fee of 125m euros. The overall value of the transfer could rise to 140m euros if the additional payments and performance-related incentives included in the agreement are met.

Friday’s result has therefore intensified discussion around Real Madrid’s new signing, but it has not prompted Mourinho to abandon his original timetable. Instead, the manager is continuing with the gradual development plan that was established when Diomande arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The defeat by Real Betis leaves Mourinho’s team facing greater examination at an early stage of the season, while Diomande remains one of the main focuses of attention because of the size of his fee. For now, though, the player’s route into the first team is expected to remain controlled, with his minutes managed carefully rather than increased suddenly.

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