“That shows how important it is to him”: Yan Diomande reveals the curious timing of his conversation with Jose Mourinho

Yan Diomande is deeply impressed by his new coach at Real Madrid.

In an interview with Sporty TV the winger revealed how much Jose Mourinho had already impressed him in their first conversation. "Mourinho got up at five o'clock in the morning to speak to me. That shows how important it is to him. When Madrid call, you can't say no, so I said: 'If they want me, then I will be there.'"

He also underlined his admiration for the Portuguese with another statement: "I am ready to give my life for him."

After a long back and forth, Real finally announced the signing of the Ivorian from RB Leipzig. Los Blancos are reportedly paying the Bundesliga club a base fee of 125 million euros. The sum can rise to as much as 140 million euros through bonus payments. In Madrid, Diomande signed a contract until 2033.

Diomande makes transfer history: only two Bundesliga departures more expensive

A dream came true for the attacking player. "It was like a dream, because there is no bigger club. From the moment I found out about it, I could no longer sleep. I simply couldn't believe it," said Diomande.

Last summer, Diomande had only joined Leipzig from CD Leganes for 25 million euros. In his first Bundesliga season, he quickly developed into one of the best players in the league. In 46 competitive matches, the winger scored 15 goals and set up another 11.

At a base fee of 125 million euros alone, Diomande is already the third most expensive Bundesliga departure of all time, alongside Florian Wirtz, who in 2025 moved from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool FC for the same amount. Only Jude Bellingham (127 million euros) and Ousmane Dembele (148 million euros) fetched higher fees when they left Borussia Dortmund.