Real Madrid step up Yan Diomande pursuit with improved €120m offer to RB Leipzig

Real Madrid are closing in on a deal to sign RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande for a fee in the region of €120m including bonuses, with the Ivory Coast international understood to have given the green light to a move to the Bernabeu.

The Spanish club have submitted a second bid to Leipzig after their initial €100m offer was rejected in recent hours, according to French outlet Foot Mercato, which specialises in transfer news. Negotiations are now focused on final details of an agreement worth close to €120m, incorporating add-ons.

Those reports say that discussions between the two clubs are progressing positively, while Diomande has already approved the transfer and is ready to relocate to the Spanish capital and wear the Real Madrid shirt.

English journalist Ben Jacobs, regarded as a reliable source on transfers, reported on X that Real Madrid are accelerating talks for Diomande and that the club is increasingly confident of reaching a full agreement in the near future.

Mourinho’s request drives Real move

Real Madrid view 19-year-old Diomande as a key solution to refresh their attack, impressed by his ability to operate on both flanks of the forward line. His pace, direct running and aptitude for changing the tempo of attacks are seen as qualities that can add a different dimension to the team’s offensive options.

Head coach Jose Mourinho is understood to have asked the club’s hierarchy to bolster the attacking department with a player offering greater speed in the final third. That request has helped push Diomande towards the top of Real Madrid’s shortlist and intensified the club’s efforts to strike a deal.

The structure of the proposed €120m package has not yet been disclosed, but the figure would place Diomande among the most expensive signings in Real Madrid’s history if the transfer is completed.

PSG walk away as Madrid move in

Before Real Madrid stepped up their interest, Paris Saint-Germain had been widely regarded as the most likely destination for Diomande. The French champions had reached a preliminary agreement with the player himself and were working on a transfer with Leipzig.

However, talks between PSG and Leipzig broke down when the German club held firm on a valuation between €120m and €130m, and also expressed a desire to keep Diomande for an additional season on loan after any sale.

Faced with those conditions, PSG decided to withdraw from negotiations, judging the overall financial outlay to be excessive and opting not to proceed at the price Leipzig were demanding.

Their withdrawal opened the door for Real Madrid, who have moved more discreetly in recent days. The Spanish club have taken advantage of the media attention surrounding Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise to operate largely out of the spotlight while advancing talks in Germany over Diomande.

Real Madrid’s calmer approach, away from the glare of major transfer headlines, has allowed them to concentrate on finalising terms with Leipzig. With the player’s approval already secured and both clubs working on the final details of a package close to €120m including bonuses, the deal is now understood to be edging towards completion, pending a full agreement on the remaining financial and contractual points.