Real Madrid pull clear in €120m race for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande
Real Madrid have moved to the front of the queue for Yan Diomande, with talks over a fee between €115m and €120m now underway with RB Leipzig, according to Goal.com, which cites Diario AS. Representatives from both clubs met in Germany this week to close the valuation gap, and Madrid officials are said to be increasingly confident of getting the deal done, with personal terms already agreed on the player's side.
The move caps a fast-moving day of reporting. Earlier, Sky Sports reported Leipzig had knocked back an opening £85.4m Madrid bid, made up of £76.9m plus £8.5m in add-ons, while Liverpool were also said to be exploring a deal in that region. PSG had been considered long-time favourites for the 19-year-old and reportedly reached a personal agreement with him as early as June, but were unable to strike terms with Leipzig, opening the door for Madrid to advance.
Diomande has been one of the stories of the summer. He arrived at Leipzig from Leganes for just €20m a year ago and went on to score 13 goals and add 10 assists in 36 appearances last season, helping fire the Bundesliga club to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification. He also impressed for Ivory Coast at this summer's World Cup, providing an assist before their round of 32 exit to Norway.
The move is part of a busy window for Madrid under new head coach Jose Mourinho, who has already brought in Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries and Marc Cucurella.
