In 1/2025, when Diomande moved from the DME academy (USA) to Leganes (Spain), his value was 1,73 million USD. After six months, the 19-year-old joined RB Leipzig in Germany for 23 million USD, 13 times his initial valuation. By 8/2026, upon returning to Spain to join Real for 156 million USD, his transfer fee had increased 90-fold in one and a half years.

Spanish newspaper Marca likened Diomande to "a new type of Bitcoin". The world's most famous cryptocurrency once saw its value surge dramatically in its early stages.

Diomande at Real Madrid's training ground on 7/8. Photo: Real Madrid

Born in Abidjan, Diomande is one of Ivory Coast's most promising young footballers. At 15, he moved to the United States to join the DME academy and played for the AS Frenzi youth team. He had a trial with Rangers in Scotland but was not offered a contract.

Diomande's talent was discovered at Leganes. After a few training matches, the modest La Liga club quickly realized they had found a gem. Diomande scored two goals in the final 10 matches of the 2024-2025 La Liga season, including his debut in a 2-3 loss to Real.

Following their relegation, Leganes knew they could not retain one of the world's most promising players. After a competition involving 40 other clubs, Leipzig secured Diomande with a 23 million USD offer and a promise of development opportunities.

In Germany, Diomande continued his remarkable ascent. During the 2025-2026 season, he scored 13 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions, earning the Bundesliga Young Player of the Year award. He also helped Leipzig finish third, securing a spot in the Champions League.

Diomande quickly established himself with the Ivory Coast national team. In less than one year, the 19-year-old winger played 14 international matches and scored three goals. During the 2-0 victory over Curacao at the 2026 World Cup, he became the youngest Ivory Coast player to provide an assist in a World Cup.

With his rapid teenage progression, Diomande became the focus of this summer's transfer window. Initially, PSG held an advantage with an offer of approximately 120 million USD. However, Real unexpectedly entered the race, securing him with a 156 million USD bid, comprising 139 million USD in fixed fees and 17 million USD in variables. From a relatively unknown player at Leganes just over a year ago, Diomande is now set to join Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius, forming a formidable attacking trio for Real.

Diomande's transfer surpasses Real's previous record, the 2023 acquisition of Jude Bellingham for 147 million USD. Eden Hazard now ranks third at 140 million USD, while Gareth Bale is fourth with 117 million USD.

Thanh Quy (according to Marca)