Yan Diomande's move to Real Madrid is close, but it is still not over the line. RB Leipzig are training him on Wednesday on a carefully managed workload, talks were due to resume on Thursday morning after fresh negotiations, and the German club still want a replacement in place before they give the sale the final green light.
Leipzig's delay and the fee dispute
That is why the transfer has stretched on despite the direction of travel. Fabrizio Romano has said the deal is done, with Paris Saint Germain already out of the race, and his latest update put the agreement at over €100m with a medical and contract signing until June 2031 to follow. Other reporting has put the price around €120 million, with one previous €100 million bid already rejected.
The fee debate is still live because the clubs have not yet dressed the move up as a completed signing in public. What is clear is that Madrid are treating Diomande like a major purchase rather than a depth addition.
Why Madrid are willing to go that high
The case for the outlay starts with the output. Diomande scored 15 Bundesliga goals and added 11 assists last season, which is the kind of return that makes a wide forward look worth a premium. His market value has also been reported as having jumped from €20 million to €90 million after his first season in the Bundesliga.
That profile fits the way Madrid have handled other big bets. Jude Bellingham's market value rose to €180 million after his first season at Real Madrid, and he is still cited at €160 million now. The club are backing the same idea here, that a big fee can still make sense if the player develops fast enough.
For now, though, Leipzig still hold the timing. The replacement search is the last obvious hurdle, and the next concrete step is the resumed talks on Thursday morning.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
