Yan Diomande’s transfer to Real Madrid is official, for a base transfer fee of 125 million euros. This means a windfall not only for RB Leipzig—but also for the Spanish second-division club CD Leganés.
Yan Diomande’s career continues to take off. In 2022, he left his native Ivory Coast for the U.S. to join the DME Academy in Daytona Beach; it was with the lower-division club AS Frenzi Sanford that the then-16-year-old truly proved his class for the first time.
However, he failed to make the cut during several tryouts at well-known clubs. He recalled during the World Cup that he first had a trial with the Glasgow Rangers. “Then with Chelsea, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Olympiacos. Things always went well—at Chelsea, I even had a conversation with coach Mauricio Pochettino. But I don’t know what happened after that. It didn’t work out.”
Instead, CD Leganés, then in Spain’s top division, secured Diomande’s services in November 2024—on a free transfer. Jeff Luhnow, the club owner born in Mexico, had good connections in the U.S. and signed the youngster. But because Diomande was initially injured, it took a while before he made his breakthrough at the club from the Madrid suburbs. Ultimately, he appeared in ten league games, contributing two goals and one assist. Over the course of the entire season, the then-18-year-old took the field in just two matches despite his impressive performances and, along with Leganés, narrowly missed avoiding relegation.
However, Diomande was spared the ordeal of Spain’s grueling league, which features 42 matchdays (and possible playoffs afterward). RB Leipzig paid the contractually stipulated transfer fee of 20 million euros “in full,” as Leganés emphasized at the time—and also included a clause that is now set to bring a windfall to Leganés following the completion of the transfer. Reportedly, the Spanish club secured a five-percent share of any potential profit Leipzig might make on a future sale. With a transfer fee of 125 million, minus the 20 million already received, that leaves 105 million; five percent of that amounts to 5.25 million euros.
How high is the clause really?
That’s a tidy sum for a second-division club that nearly got relegated to the third division last season. Due to expected bonuses, the total is likely to grow even further. Or could Leganés actually earn double that amount? The Spanish newspaper AS mentions a 10 percent profit share, which would mean the Spanish club would pocket at least 10.5 million.
Either way, Leganés has done a lot right with Diomande. “For a club like this, it’s a very significant financial boost, but above all, we’re happy because Yan deserves it,” said former player and current club official Martín Mantovani. “It’s the reward for our work in scouting and player development, and he still has enormous potential for growth.”