Real Madrid have completed the signing of Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig in a deal worth up to £120m (140m euros), making the 19-year-old one of the most expensive teenagers in football history.

Diomande has put pen to paper on a seven-year contract at the Santiago Bernabéu. The fee could ultimately exceed the £115m (133.9m euros) Real Madrid paid Borussia Dortmund for Jude Bellingham in June 2023.

PSG pipped at the post

Paris St-Germain had been considered the frontrunners to land Diomande, but the French champions walked away from negotiations on Sunday after a £102.5m bid was rejected by Leipzig. Real Madrid moved swiftly to secure the deal.

Liverpool had also registered their interest, submitting an initial bid of £69m in June as they searched for a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah following his departure from the club. That offer, too, was turned down.

Mourinho's sixth summer signing

Diomande becomes the sixth player recruited by Real Madrid under new head coach Jose Mourinho this summer, joining Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella, and Carlos Espi at the club.

His arrival caps a busy transfer window for the Spanish giants, who have reshaped their squad with a blend of experience and youthful dynamism.

A standout season at Leipzig

The Ivorian winger's transfer fee reflects a spectacular debut campaign in European football. Diomande scored 12 goals and registered eight assists in the Bundesliga alone, earning him the competition's Young Player of the Season award for 2025-26. Across all competitions, he contributed 13 goals and 10 assists in his first full season with Leipzig.

He also featured in all four of Ivory Coast's FIFA World Cup matches before the Elephants were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Norway.

Why Real Madrid wanted him

Diomande's appeal lies in his remarkable versatility. Equally comfortable on either flank, he can cut inside from the left onto his stronger right foot to threaten goal, or use his pace and delivery from the right to fashion chances for team-mates.

Real Madrid have sought greater consistency on the right wing, and the teenager's ability to operate across the attack addresses that need directly. At Leipzig, he developed a potent partnership with right-back Ridle Baku, and the club believe he can build similar combinations with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cucurella at the Bernabéu.

Diomande's journey to European football's summit has been unconventional — he left Ivory Coast for an academy in the United States before moving to Spanish side Leganes in 2025, then joining Leipzig later that year. Real Madrid are now betting that the best is still to come from a player who has already announced himself on the world stage.