Yan Diomande’s two-footed talent can transform Real Madrid games, says Borja Jimenez

Real Madrid’s record signing Yan Diomande has been backed to surprise supporters with his direct style, remarkable dribbling ability and capacity to influence matches, according to former Leganes coach Borja Jimenez.

The Spanish club completed a deal for the 19-year-old Ivorian this summer, paying €125m to RB Leipzig. The transfer has made Diomande the most expensive signing in Real Madrid’s history.

Despite his age, Diomande is regarded by Jimenez as a player with all the qualities and attributes required to become an established professional footballer. Jimenez coached him during his time at Leganes and believes that those who have only seen brief clips of the teenager have yet to appreciate his full ability.

“He will surprise everyone,” Jimenez said.

Speaking in comments reported by Mundo Deportivo, Jimenez added: “He is a player that not many people know, they have only seen short clips of him, but I think he will surprise many people with his boldness.”

The former Leganes coach said Diomande possesses the rare ability to make it difficult for opponents to predict which foot he will use when in possession.

“He is a player who changes the course of the game, you cannot determine whether he uses his right foot or his left when he has the ball,” Jimenez said.

That two-footed quality is an unusual asset in modern football, where players are often more easily identified by a preferred side. In Diomande’s case, Jimenez believes his unpredictability can give him an important advantage when confronting defenders.

“He will bring a lot of directness, and exceptional skill in one-on-one dribbling,” he said.

Jimenez also highlighted a particular technique he had seen from the young player: the ability to stop completely with the ball and wait for an opponent to commit before attempting to beat them.

“He has the ability to stop, meaning stopping the ball completely and waiting for the opponent to intervene, then he dribbles,” Jimenez added.

The coach recalled being struck by Diomande’s level during the player’s time with Leganes’ reserve team. The teenager had made such an impression early in one training session that Jimenez questioned why he was still playing at that level.

“After 15 or 20 minutes of training, he had already shown us… I did not understand what this player was doing in the reserve team,” he said.

Jimenez said Diomande’s performance was so strong that a decision was taken to remove him from the session. The intention, he explained, was to prevent anything happening to the player and to avoid the risk of injury.

“His level was so high that they decided to take him off the pitch to prevent anything bad from happening and to avoid injuring him,” Jimenez said.

Diomande now begins his Real Madrid career as the club’s most expensive acquisition, with his former coach predicting that his fearless approach and unusual control with both feet will quickly attract attention.