September 9: Four Games, Zero Goals and Zero Assists; Real Madrid's €100 Million Teen Signing Gets Chance, Mourinho Reportedly Picks Him for First Champions League Start Against Inter

Real Madrid spent heavily this summer to sign 19-year-old Ivorian prospect Yan Diomande, with a fixed transfer fee of up to €125 million plus €15 million in add-ons. His contract runs for seven years until the summer of 2033. The deal, which could reach a total value of €140 million, not only set a new transfer record in Real Madrid history, pushing former '€100 million man' Bellingham into second place, but also raised huge expectations for the highly promising youngster.

However, Diomande's situation at the start of the La Liga season appeared somewhat 'cold.' In the first four league matches, he came on as a substitute in all four games, totaling only 83 minutes. During that limited time, he failed to score or provide an assist, and did not even register a threatening shot attempt.

Specifically, in La Liga's opening round on August 23, Real Madrid narrowly defeated Espanyol 2-1 away, with head coach Mourinho not sending Diomande on until the 64th minute, replacing young player Guler. In the second round, when Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 4-1 at home, Diomande did not come on until the 84th minute, replacing the impressive Vinicius. Although he completed a fine 1v1 dribble from the left in the 88th minute and had a shot from a tight angle saved by the goalkeeper, it was one of his few highlights. In a match where Mbappe scored a hat-trick, Vinicius contributed a goal and an assist, Bellingham provided two assists, and the attack was firing on all cylinders, Diomande only received six minutes of 'garbage time.'

Against Malaga in the third round, Real Madrid won 4-0, and Diomande played 12 minutes, again as a substitute. In the fourth round, on September 5 away against Betis, Real Madrid suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 0-1. Diomande entered as a substitute in the 64th minute and played 26 minutes.

Across four matches, Diomande played a total of 83 minutes, averaging less than 21 minutes per game. According to data from Nami Sports, during those 83 minutes he attempted six dribbles and completed four, made 41 passes with 34 successful, and produced two key passes. However, his number of shots was zero. More notably, among all Real Madrid attacking players who have played more than 80 minutes, he was the only one who had not taken a shot inside the opponent's penalty area.

This performance naturally triggered questions from Spanish media, with some outlets beginning to describe him as a 'flop,' and criticism from outside voices gradually increased.

Facing the controversy, head coach Mourinho responded in an interview: 'Diomande needs to stay grounded, and he will definitely grow in the future. People always expect young players to immediately amaze everyone when they step onto the pitch, but that is often not the case. Diomande is still very young. Everyone should not rush him and should give him time to develop slowly.'

AS further reported that Mourinho has been extremely cautious and detailed in managing how Diomande is used. The club, coaching staff, and dressing room members generally believe that Diomande is Real Madrid's future. Therefore, the club is currently adopting a gradual development strategy to avoid placing excessive pressure on him.

Diomande himself also fully trusts Mourinho's arrangements and remains calm about his role as a substitute in four appearances.

Mourinho's cautious approach is largely based on the lesson of another young player, Franco Mastantuono. The 18-year-old Argentine midfielder joined Real Madrid from River Plate in June 2025 for a fee of €63.2 million. In his first La Liga season after joining, he made 35 appearances but recorded only three goals and one assist. At the time, head coach Alonso used him as the starting right winger, and repeated setbacks caused Mastantuono's mentality to become increasingly anxious, seriously affecting his performances.

On August 7, 2026, Real Madrid officially announced that Mastantuono would join Fiorentina on loan until June 30, 2027, without a purchase option. It was reported that after detailed discussions with Mastantuono, Mourinho reached a direct conclusion: playing regularly on loan in another European league would be more beneficial for his development than sitting on the bench at the Bernabeu.

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mastantuono also confirmed this: 'Did Mourinho also advise you to choose a move to Italy? He is a great coach, and the energy he gives off impressed me deeply. When we communicated, I had not yet finalized Fiorentina, but he gave me very sensible advice. After considering things together with him and Real Madrid, going elsewhere to seek playing opportunities became the best solution.'

AS clearly pointed out that Mourinho does not want Mastantuono's experience to happen again with Diomande.

On August 29, the staged schedule for the UEFA Champions League was announced, with Real Madrid's opening match set for 3:00 a.m. on September 9 at the Bernabeu against Italian giants Inter Milan.

On September 7, AS placed the news on its front-page cover and revealed Mourinho's tactical adjustment: to prepare for this Champions League challenge, Diomande will make his first start of his Real Madrid career.

According to AS, Mourinho made this decision for two main reasons:

First, after a month of adaptation, Diomande has basically adjusted to the team's rhythm. He completed his official signing on August 11, and by the Champions League opener on September 9, he had trained with the team for nearly a month. His physical condition had recovered well and he was ready to play and pose a threat to opponents.

Second, the need for attacking rotation has also forced Mourinho to make adjustments. This season, Real Madrid's attacking core consists of Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham, and Guler. However, with five matches required within 20 days, including games against Betis, Inter Milan, Rayo Vallecano, Elche, and Atletico Madrid, rotation has become inevitable. Diomande's slow start in La Liga was not so much being 'frozen out' by the coach as a precise control of his playing load, saving his best condition for key Champions League matches.

It cannot be ignored that Inter Milan are far from ordinary opponents; they are described as the double champions of last season's Serie A and Coppa Italia. The match is also highly significant for Mourinho, as it marks his reunion with former club Inter Milan at the Bernabeu 16 years later. In 2010, he led Inter to defeat Bayern Munich 2-0 here and lift the Champions League trophy.

Diomande plays as a right winger but can also operate on the left wing. Nearly 70,000 Real Madrid fans at the Bernabeu are eagerly waiting, hoping that the €140 million 'record signing' can score the first goal of his career for Real Madrid and provide his first assist in this high-profile clash.