As per reports, Real Madrid are pursuing a move for Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande. The 19-year-old right winger has been a prime target for many top clubs across Europe, and Real Madrid made an initial bid of €100 million for the potential Real Madrid signing, but RB Leipzig immediately rejected it as they seek more money for their top talent. Diomande made 36 appearances for the German club last season and scored 13 goals while also assisting 10 times.
The Problem Real Madrid Face
Real Madrid have lacked a natural right winger ever since Gareth Bale, and with players like Marco Asensio, Rodrygo, and Federico Valverde all utilised in that position, they still achieved success because of their star power but did so in other positions.
Dani Carvajal was the right-back for many years and used to dominate the space created on the right flank because of creative and gravitational players on the other side of the field; however, the last two seasons have exposed this weakness in the Los Blancos squad, as Carvajal faced continuous injuries and only started 22 games in the past two seasons.
The addition of Kylian Mbappé further disrupted the already unstable system, and Real Madrid’s signing of Franco Mastantuano did not work out as well. Real Madrid became too predictable, with all of their threat coming from the left flank and little to no threat from the opposite side.
The Solution A New Real Madrid Signing Provides
This summer, they are looking to resolve the issue by signing Diomande. The targeted Real Madrid signing is a right-footed player who can play on both sides of the field. The statistics for last season show that he spent 61% of his time on the field as a right winger.
This is exactly what Real Madrid needs. A player who can play on the right side, attract players, provide a constant threat, and open up space on the left flank for Vinicius Junior or Kylian Mbappé.
What Do Stats Say About The New Real Madrid Signing?
Yan Diomande offers a lot of pace and directness; he is a constant goal threat, and only Luis Díaz and Michael Olise, while playing in Bayern Munich’s aggressive system, netted more goals than him last season in the Bundesliga. In addition, he also had 10.12 expected assists last season, which ranked him in the 97th percentile for Bundesliga wingers. The winger also recorded 896 successful passes, and only 5% of the Bundesliga wingers registered more passes than him.
Diomande’s biggest assets are his close control and dribbling. He is not a flashy player who does a lot of stepovers or flicks; rather, he uses both feet to dribble and manipulate the defender. The potential new Real Madrid signing completed the most dribbles (115) in the Bundesliga last season with an average of 4.19 per 90 minutes.
A major criticism of the current Real Madrid attackers has been their off-the-ball work rate and pressing, and Diomande offers a lot in terms of physical strength and work rate as well. The six-foot-tall winger won 186 duels last season in the Bundesliga, the most by a winger. The reported new Real Madrid signing also made 148 ball recoveries, which ranked him in the 98th percentile for wingers, and these attributes would be key to succeeding in Jose Mourinho’s team.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Pep Guardiola England Manager Links and Why Italian Job Bid Was Rejected
Key Areas To Improve For Yan Diomande
Diomande is still a young player and has certain areas to improve as well. He only won five aerial duels last season, which shows his limited aerial dominance. He had a cross-completion rate of 17.78%, and 62% of Bundesliga wingers were better than him in this metric. His decision-making while passing in the final third can also sometimes be a bit untidy.
Is This The Right Man For Jose Mourinho?
Yan Diomande excels in direct and transitional play, which perfectly matches the system Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid are known for. He has the potential to grow and become one of the best players in the world. The potential Real Madrid signing has the attributes to flourish under Jose Mourinho alongside Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, but he would need time to adjust and become a star player at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Leave a Reply