Real Madrid have an opportunity to move ahead of Barcelona in the Champions League table when they take on RB Leipzig tonight.
This promises to be a special game for Yan Diomande, who had joined Los Blancos in a €140 million deal from RB Leipzig in the summer.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, the scout who first brought the Ivorian to Germany has backed him to flourish at the Bernabeu.
The scout who spotted Diomande
Rafa Gonzalez, Leipzig’s scout for Spain and Portugal for over a decade, revealed to AS how his eye for a player led him to the then-unknown teenager.
Diomande was a huge hit at Leipzig. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
A former goalkeeper who moved into scouting via spells in England and the United States, Gonzalez has overseen a string of shrewd calls, while admitting a few got away.
The Diomande moment came at the Bernabeu in March 2025, when the youngster came on as an 86th-minute debutant for Leganes.
“In my work, I rely heavily on my personal perceptions, and I immediately noticed qualities that everyone can now see in him, such as speed, intensity, audacity, effort, ball control, personality, defensive ability, and good tracking back,” he said.
Gonzalez added that he grew fond of Diomande ten minutes into the game due to his special abilities.
“It was only ten minutes on the field, but I loved him; I thought he was a very special player, and from then on, I began to follow him much more closely,” he stated.
Backing Diomande to succeed at Real Madrid
Diomande has been on fire lately. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)
Despite the risk of paying €20 million for a player with barely any top-level minutes, Leipzig took the plunge, and the move paid off.
Diomande ended up scoring 13 goals and mustering 10 assists in just 36 competitive matches, before joining Real Madrid for seven times the price.
“I don’t consider myself primarily responsible for his signing because everyone in the group did their part to tie up all the loose ends. I did what was expected of me, but it was a team effort led by the sporting director,” Gonzalez said.
Finally, the Leipzig scout backed the Ivorian to succeed at Real Madrid.
“He will succeed in white. I’m convinced. He has talent, attitude, and room for improvement. The pressure is high, but with confidence, he will respond positively to the significant investment they’ve made,” he concluded.
After a slow start to the season, Diomande has certainly come into his own in recent matches, notably being involved in four goals in last three matches. It will be interesting to see whether or not he can continue that form against his former club tonight.