English Premier League
Yan Diomande reveals Real Madrid was always his dream despite Liverpool interest
Yan Diomande has indicated that Real Madrid was always his preferred destination, despite reported interest from Liverpool before his move to the Spanish club.
Liverpool were prepared to pay RB Leipzig £86m for the Ivorian forward, according to the Liverpool Echo. However, Leipzig valued the player at more than £100m, prompting the English club to withdraw from negotiations.
Diomande was understood to favour a move to Paris Saint-Germain, the European champions, rather than joining Liverpool. But Paris Saint-Germain were also unwilling to meet Leipzig’s asking price.
Real Madrid subsequently moved for the young player earlier this month and completed a deal worth up to £120m.
The transfer has now been presented as the fulfilment of a long-held ambition for Diomande, who reportedly dreamed of playing at the Santiago Bernabeu regardless of the interest from Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.
Michael Yormark, co-founder of Roc Nation, the agency representing Diomande, said the player had made his ambitions clear during a conversation with his agent, Nathan Campbell.
“Nathan Campbell, Diomande’s agent, sat down with the player and spoke to him about his dreams and ambitions,” Yormark said.
According to Yormark, Diomande told Campbell: “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.”
Yormark said the agency then developed a plan designed to help the player achieve that objective and assembled a team around him.
“We had to put the right plan in place to make his dream happen. We built a team around this young player. This deal also represents a big 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, described the agreement with Real Madrid as a reflection of Diomande’s work ethic.
“This historic deal with Real Madrid is a testament to Yan’s incredible work ethic,” Campbell told SportsBoom.co.za.
“We could not be prouder to have played a part in completing the biggest transfer deal for an African player in football history,” he added.
Liverpool’s proposed offer would have been significantly below the eventual value of the Real Madrid agreement, while Leipzig’s valuation had already exceeded the figure the Premier League club was willing to pay.
The move to the Santiago Bernabeu therefore followed a period in which Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain were both linked with the player, but neither club completed a deal. Diomande’s reported preference for Real Madrid ultimately aligned with the Spanish club’s willingness to agree a package worth up to £120m.
