Mourinho reveals rotation model for Vinicius, Diomande, Mbappé
José Mourinho
Abdullateef Fowewe
Real Madrid’s manager, José Mourinho has personally informed 19-year-old Ivorian winger Yan Diomande that the club’s plan is to deploy him alongside Vinícius Júnior rather than as a direct replacement, sources say, as Madrid push to build a pacey front line of Vinícius–Kylian Mbappé–Diomande.
Diomande, who exploded onto the scene with RB Leipzig in 2025–26, scoring 12 goals and providing 9 assists in the Bundesliga has emerged as one of Europe’s most sought-after young forwards.
TEAMtalk first reported Mourinho’s direct intervention, saying the Portuguese coach has approved the move to add fresh legs and raw speed to Real’s attacking options despite the club already housing global stars.
Real Madrid have been widely reported as clear frontrunners for the signing.
Multiple outlets say Madrid are in advanced talks with Leipzig and have reached an agreement in principle in some reports, with Diomande reportedly favouring a move to the Spanish capital.
The potential package has been estimated at around €100–135 million including add-ons, with negotiations centring on a long-term contract some reports suggest a deal running to 2031.
Paris Saint-Germain had been strongly linked earlier in the window and were believed to have held talks over personal terms.
Sources say Diomande has indicated a preference for Real, leaving PSG frustrated, while previously mentioned suitors such as Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City have fallen back or are now considered unlikely to match Madrid’s position.
As of today, Diomande remains at Leipzig while talks continue, Dailyeconomy reports.
Several outlets report momentum favouring Real Madrid, though at least one source disputes that a formal “in principle” agreement is complete.
Club insiders describe Mourinho’s objective as injecting greater speed and rotation into the front line to complement Vinícius and Mbappé, rather than displacing either star.
