The 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger has become the hottest commodity of this summer transfer window. Real has already agreed personal terms with the player, but Leipzig rejects offers.
Yan Diomande, the 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger, remains the subject of a battle exclusively between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, while Manchester City, according to information from Fabrizio Romano, completely dropped out of the race seven days ago. On July 25, 2026, Romano posted on his channels that only Real and PSG are active negotiators for the Ivorian attacker, significantly narrowing the circle of interested clubs, which had been much wider until recently.
According to Romano's information published on July 25, 2026, Real Madrid has verbally agreed personal terms with Diomande, just as PSG had done back in June. The player has therefore given the green light to both parties, but the key obstacle remains an agreement with RB Leipzig over the transfer fee. Sky Sports Germany reports that Leipzig rejected Real's offer of £85.4 million, approximately €100 million, while Romano states that the rejected offer was €90 million plus €10 million in bonuses. It is possible this is the same offer expressed in different currencies or information from different sources, but in both cases, Leipzig is demanding significantly more.
Interestingly, Diomande earlier this summer gave priority to PSG and agreed to a contract until 2031 with them. However, according to Sky Sports Germany, on Saturday, July 25, Real Madrid actively worked with RB Leipzig to reach an agreement and now finds itself in a more favorable position. Romano confirmed that Real plans to submit a new, higher offer to Leipzig after the previous one was rejected. PSG, according to an incomplete post by Romano, remains in contact and continues its attempts.
Diomande's rise story is one of the most fascinating in European football over the past year. At the end of last season, he was a winger for Leganes, who were relegated from La Liga, with only six starts and two goals against Espanyol and Valladolid. That form was enough for RB Leipzig to bring him in for €20 million. In the Bundesliga, he was a revelation, and Sky Sports journalist Adam Bate described him as a player who
"is exciting to watch and impossible to defend, lightning-quick, full of unpredictable enterprise", noting that "the biggest clubs want him, and the rest cannot afford him."
According to Sky Sports, Liverpool also expressed interest in Diomande but is not willing to pay more than £85 million. Even that sum would be a Premier League record transfer for a teenager, surpassing the £58.9 million Manchester United paid for Leny Yoro from Lille in the summer of 2024. Arsenal, according to the same source, explored the possibility of signing Diomande, but Romano's latest information suggests that only Real and PSG are currently serious negotiators.
The context of Real's interest in Diomande is further illuminated by the situation with Bayern's Michael Olise. On July 25, Romano reported that Real informed Bayern that they do not intend to strain relations with the Bavarian club by forcing a transfer for Olise this summer, and that president Florentino Pérez wants Olise, but only if Bayern opens the door, which is currently not the case. Bayern director Christoph Freund confirmed this in a statement to journalists, saying: "This is not a topic for us at all. We are glad that Michael Olise has returned from his vacation. He will play an important role for Bayern this season, just as he did last season." Real therefore, according to Romano, has directed all its attention to Diomande. With about six weeks left in the transfer window, the situation remains open, and a new offer from Real to Leipzig is expected shortly.
