Real Madrid News
Real Madrid staff highly impressed by summer signing’s first days at Valdebebas
According to journalist Rodra of ESPN, Real Madrid’s technical staff have been highly impressed by summer signing Yan Diomande’s first few days at the club training facilities.
The 19-year-old forward recently completed his historic, record-breaking transfer from German club RB Leipzig for a guaranteed fixed fee of €125 million, which could eventually rise to €140 million when including all performance-related variables.
While the teenage Ivory Coast international is yet to make his debut for Real Madrid in pre-season, it appears that the early impressions in training have already made an impact.
Immediate impact
Diomande arrived at Real Madrid after participating at the World Cup with Ivory Coast, and has been unable to do a full pre-season so far as he was not completely integrated in training at Leipzig either before his exit.
Despite that, the young winger is understood to have made a big impression on those at Valdebebas in his first few days at the Spanish capital club.
The teenager has arrived in exceptional physical condition, boasts explosive pace, and sharp technical skills which have seemingly been on display during the training sessions.
Even though he was deemed not ready to feature in the previous two friendlies against Ferencvaros and Deportivo La Coruna, Diomande appears to be making the right noise at the Real Madrid Sports City.
Diomande’s signing a request from Mourinho
The teenage winger’s strong start is likely to give head coach Jose Mourinho a major boost as he finalises his tactical plans for the upcoming domestic campaign.
👍 ¡Un día de entrenamiento con Diomande! pic.twitter.com/b7dQQARTET
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 11, 2026
Mourinho personally pushed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to sanction the record-breaking financial layout to sign Diomande this summer.
The Ivorian prodigy, who registered 12 goals and eight assists in the Bundesliga last season, has what it takes to be a vital asset to Mourinho, with his ability provide explosive width, direct dribbling, and goal threat in the frontline.
As such, the positive impression Diomande is making in his early training sessions at Real Madrid are bound to generate excitement among those at the club as well as the fans.
If there are no setbacks, there is a strong likelihood that the Ivorian could finally make his bow for his new club later this week when Los Blancos face Schalke in a friendly.
One of the main objectives for Real Madrid this summer was to bring in a new central midfielder capable of controlling the tempo and dictating the play from the middle.
A move for Rodri was in the works before the Spain captain decided to sign for FC Barcelona. The Merengues assessed several other options, but ended up not signing any player, with Jose Mourinho deciding to use Bernardo Silva in the double pivot.
One of the midfielders that Real Madrid were looking at as an option was Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace.
The England international has been on the club’s radar for a while now, but the Premier League club never opened the door for a summer departure.
Wharton could be on the market in 2027
However, now, according to The Guardian (h/t Bernabeu Digital), That stance could change next year, as that Palace would be prepared to consider selling Wharton during the next summer transfer window.
As mentioned already, Real Madrid have closely followed Wharton’s situation throughout the summer, although the club ultimately decided against making any further additions to their midfield.
Manchester City and Chelsea also showed serious interest in signing the England international during the summer. However, Crystal Palace were unwilling to sell, effectively ruling out a move for the midfielder.
But it appears that they could open the doors for Wharton to leave in the summer of 2027, potentially paving the way for Real Madrid to make a move.
Real Madrid continue to monitor Wharton
Real Madrid are expected to keep a close eye on Wharton’s progress ahead of the 2027 market. Should they decide they need another high-quality midfielder, the 22-year-old could once again emerge as a candidate.
Manchester City may be less likely to return for Wharton after strengthening their midfield significantly this summer.
Chelsea, however, could remain a potential competitor after failing to add a player in the position during the latest window.
For now, Wharton will remain at Crystal Palace, but the club’s willingness to consider a sale next summer means the midfielder could become a realistic option for Real Madrid in 2027.
