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"I'm too old to feel pressure," was José Mourinho's characteristically blunt response when questioned about whether he felt any obligation to field new recruit Yan Diomande in the starting eleven.
The 19-year-old has had a quiet introduction to life at Real Madrid, earning a place in the starting lineup on just one occasion across Los Blancos's opening five matches of the 2025–26 campaign.
That might appear fairly standard for a teenager breaking into the world's biggest club, but Diomande also happens to be Real Madrid's most expensive signing ever at $145 million (€125 million). He arrived amid considerable excitement this summer—the headline acquisition of a new chapter at the club under the recently re-elected Florentino Pérez.
The president vowed to continue delivering high-profile signings throughout the summer, running on the promise of a new "Galáctico" era, with towering posters across Spain's capital reminding supporters of the elite talent he had previously brought to the club.
It is somewhat puzzling, then, that a player who cost more than Jude Bellingham, Gareth Bale, or Cristiano Ronaldo has largely been confined to the substitutes' bench.
Güler Shines As Diomande Fades
Diomande did feature from the start in Saturday's 4–1 victory over Rayo Vallecano, but delivered a fairly muted performance across 72 minutes before being substituted, touching the ball only twice inside the opposition's penalty area and departing with a mere 0.04 xG to his name.
It was his replacement, Arda Güler, who then teed up Kylian Mbappé for Madrid's fourth goal of the evening, with the Turkish international recording a game-high five chances created in under 20 minutes on the field.
Following the final whistle, Real Madrid supporter and journalist Tomás Roncero hailed Güler as "the team's guiding light," while MARCA argued the 21-year-old should be considered "untouchable" at the club. Those same reports, however, have started to raise questions over Diomande's place in the setup.
When pressed about the summer arrival after the game, Mourinho appeared to indicate that the teenager still has considerable ground to cover.
"He hasn't been playing at a high level for very long and has a lot to learn tactically," Mourinho acknowledged. "But he has incredible potential. In one-on-one situations, passing, shooting.
"He gives us a lot of options. He can play where Vini is, on the right, Arda can play there, or where Bellingham is. Right now, I want to help him develop."
Diomande was not introduced at all during the midweek triumph over Inter, with Mourinho hinting afterwards that the decision was driven by a desire to manage the flow of the game.
Where Does Diomande Fit in Madrid's Team?
It is not difficult to understand why Pérez set his sights on Diomande this summer.
Eager to unveil a new Galáctico following two trophy-less seasons and with his own position facing scrutiny from rivals, the only slot Pérez could realistically have targeted for reinforcement—without upsetting his existing galaxy of stars—was the right wing.
Reports indicate that Michael Olise was the president's original target, but with the Bayern Munich forward unavailable, Diomande emerged as the leading alternative. It likely also helped that the Côte d'Ivoire star could operate on the left flank as well, amid the ongoing contract dispute with Vinícius Jr.
After a breakthrough season in the Bundesliga, the 19-year-old is not yet a finished article but very much one in the making. He has fewer than 55 senior appearances to his name and only made his professional debut for Leganés—against Madrid, of all opponents—back in March 2025.
Twelve goals in Germany's top division in 2025–26 and reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool confirm there is genuine quality there, but he will need space and time to develop. Doing so under the intense scrutiny at Madrid is no simple task. Mourinho may insist he feels no pressure, but Diomande—as the most expensive player in the history of the world's biggest club—very well might.
For now, Güler—a remarkable talent whose growth was one of the few bright spots from last season—is clearly Madrid's strongest option on the right flank. Yet it seems unlikely that Pérez will allow his prized new acquisition to be managed purely as a long-term project.