Real Madrid have completed the signing of Côte d'Ivoire winger Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig in a deal worth up to £120 million, making the 19-year-old the most expensive African player in football history.

The transfer surpasses the £72 million Arsenal paid Lille for Nicolas Pépé in 2019, a record that had stood for six years. Diomande has put pen to paper on a seven-year contract at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Fourth most expensive player in history

Should Real Madrid pay the full £120 million fee, Diomande would rank as the fourth most expensive player ever — behind PSG's Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, and Liverpool's Alexander Isak, the former Newcastle striker.

The deal also edges past the £115 million Real paid Borussia Dortmund for Jude Bellingham in June 2023, underlining the club's continued willingness to invest at the very top of the market.

PSG miss out, Liverpool also rebuffed

Paris St-Germain had been considered the leading candidates for Diomande's signature, but withdrew their interest on Sunday after a £102.5 million bid was rejected by Leipzig.

Liverpool had also entered the race, submitting an initial offer of £69 million in June as they sought a replacement for Mohamed Salah, who completed a move to Turkish club Trabzonspor on Thursday. That bid, too, was turned away.

A breakout season in the Bundesliga

Diomande earned the Bundesliga's Young Player of the Season award for 2025-26, contributing 12 goals and eight assists across the campaign — a return that attracted Europe's biggest clubs.

He featured in all four of Côte d'Ivoire's FIFA World Cup matches before their elimination in the round of 32 at the hands of Norway.

Mourinho's sixth summer arrival

Diomande is the sixth player signed by Real Madrid under new head coach Jose Mourinho this summer, following the arrivals of Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella, and Carlos Espi.

Born in Côte d'Ivoire, Diomande developed through an academy in the United States before joining Spanish club Leganes in 2025 and then moving to RB Leipzig later that same year.