Yan Diomande’s Real Madrid dream revealed after Liverpool’s £86m pursuit

Yan Diomande has indicated that playing for Real Madrid was always his ultimate ambition, despite Liverpool being prepared to spend £86m on the young forward.

Liverpool were reportedly ready to pay that amount to RB Leipzig for the Ivory Coast international, according to the Liverpool Echo. However, Leipzig valued Diomande at more than £100m, leading the Premier League club to withdraw from the negotiations.

The report also said Diomande preferred a move to Paris Saint-Germain, the European champions, rather than joining Liverpool. PSG subsequently decided it would not meet Leipzig’s asking price, allowing Real Madrid to make their move earlier this month.

The Spanish club completed the signing in a deal that could eventually be worth up to £120m.

Diomande is now reported to have been targeting a move to the Santiago Bernabeu regardless of interest from Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain. His representatives say the player had identified Real Madrid as his preferred destination and had set his personal ambitions accordingly.

Michael Yormark, co-founder of Roc Nation, the agency that represents Diomande, described a conversation between the player and his agent, Nathan Campbell.

“Nathan Campbell, Diomande’s agent, sat down with the Ivorian player and spoke to him about his dreams and ambitions,” Yormark said.

According to Yormark, Diomande made clear that his objectives extended beyond securing a move to one of Europe’s leading clubs.

“I want to be the best player in the world, I want to win the Ballon d’Or, I want to win trophies, and my biggest dream has always been to play for Real Madrid,” Diomande said.

Yormark added that Roc Nation had worked with the player to build a route towards achieving that ambition.

“We had to put the right plan in place to achieve his dream. We built a team around this young player. This deal also represents a major moment for all of us. We took an ambitious young man and turned his ambition into reality,” he said.

Campbell, Roc Nation’s head of global football talent acquisition, also linked the transfer to Diomande’s commitment and work ethic.

“This historic deal with Real Madrid is a testament to Yan’s incredible work ethic,” Campbell told SportsBoom.co.za.

The representative said the agency was particularly proud of the financial scale of the agreement, describing it as a landmark for African footballers.

“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,” Campbell said.

The transfer ends a period in which Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain had both been considered possible destinations for Diomande. Leipzig’s valuation ultimately proved decisive, while Real Madrid’s willingness to agree a deal worth as much as £120m secured the player whose representatives say had always dreamed of playing in Madrid.