Diomande’s former coach revealed a rapid rise to the top as Real Madrid approached

During the 2025 international break, Leganes were preparing to face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu when the unknown 18-year-old Ivory Coast winger, who arrived injured to join the club’s reserve team in January, was suddenly withdrawn.

Former Leganes manager Borja Jimenez, who is now in charge of Qatar’s Al Ahli, recalled the moment he first noticed the young man’s skills.

“The first time I heard about Yan was when Jeff Luhnow, the owner of Leganes, showed me his homemade YouTube video,” Jimenez said.

“He was 16 years old and playing in one of the club’s centers in the United States. Jeff said to me: ‘We have a new Messi.’ I was surprised to see you.”

Jimenez’s first personal look at Diomande came during a warm-up game against the reserve team in preparation for the trip to the Bernabeu.

“I had never seen him properly,” he explained.

“In his first half he beat the defender with ease, he did it again, he ran onto the ball with an amazing first touch, then he cut inside and fired into the top corner.

“After five or six minutes, I called the coach of the reserve team and told him: ‘Take Yan out now because the next challenge will be worse. He is training with us tomorrow.’

First impressions are eye-catching

Diomande played only 45 minutes that day as he was still recovering from an injury, but Jimenez believed it was enough.

“He was so much better than the first team players that it started to get tense, I didn’t want anyone to kick him.”

Before Diomande joined first team training, Jimenez gave him some advice.

“There was no need for me to tell him how to play football, I talked to him about behavior,” he said.

“I told him to continue doing as he has been doing, but respect the older players. Arrive first, leave last, help your teammates and understand that you are a new player.

“It was the first time he played with a big team and I wanted to guide him. He understood everything quickly.”

The winger has also impressed his new teammates.

“We were returning to the dressing room after training when Dani Raba came and said: ‘This boy is good.’ I just smiled and agreed.”

The first game against Real Madrid

Diomande was immediately included in the squad to face Real Madrid.

“We had to try to win that game, and from the first minute we knew it was different,” Jimenez said.

“His first real action was a blast past Fede Valverde that ended in what we believed should have been a penalty. From that moment, Yan’s story wrote itself.”

Despite spending almost six weeks with Leganes’ first team, Diomande made a big impact.

“He was never afraid, even at the Bernabeu,” said Jimenez.

“If he had come in January instead of passing, I honestly believe we would have been able to enter the Conference League instead of being relegated.

“He changed us. He scored goals, created chances and completely changed the team.”

The price is going up

Jimenez also revealed that he had always expected Diomande’s price to rise significantly.

“When international clubs inquired about him, some thought that £17m was too expensive.

“I told them that within a year he would be twice or three times that size.”

Leipzig eventually signed Diomande for around £17m, and after just one outstanding season in Germany, the youngster is now valued at between £87m and £104m, with his move to Madrid set to be completed in the coming days.