The wait to see Yan Diomandé in a Real Madrid shirt will have to continue. The most expensive signing in the club’s history has once again been left out of the squad and will not be available to face Deportivo La Coruña in the Teresa Herrera Trophy.

The Ivorian’s absence may come as a surprise considering the enormous investment Madrid made to sign him, but for now, there is no major issue behind the decision.

José Mourinho simply believes that he is not yet physically ready to compete.

Diomandé only began training with his new teammates last Friday and has completed very few sessions during Madrid’s preseason. That was also the reason why he was unavailable for the friendly against Ferencváros.

Mou does not want to rush him.

Mourinho Prefers to Wait for Diomandé

The Ivory Coast winger joined preseason later after taking part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he started all four matches played by his national team.

He now needs to regain his rhythm and, especially, adapt to the work Mourinho is implementing with the rest of the squad.

The Portuguese coach understands that training is one thing, but being fully prepared to compete is another.

For that reason, despite being one of Madrid’s most anticipated summer signings, there is no intention to rush his debut simply to see him wear the white shirt for the first time.

His situation is different from that of Vinícius Júnior and Bernardo Silva, who were already able to play their first preseason minutes against Ferencváros after also joining the squad later.

With Diomandé, Madrid prefers to be patient.

A Historic Real Madrid Investment

The expectation surrounding his debut can also be explained by the amount the Spanish giants paid to sign him.

Reports surrounding the final figures point to a historic deal for the club. His transfer from RB Leipzig reportedly includes a fixed fee of around €125 million and could reach approximately €140 million if all the add-ons included in the agreement are triggered.

That figure makes the young attacker one of the biggest investments ever made by Real Madrid.

Before completing the deal, the Spanish club reportedly submitted an offer close to €100 million that failed to convince RB Leipzig. Competition for the player and the German club’s demands ultimately pushed the price considerably higher.

Madrid decided to make a huge investment in one of the young players who attracted the most attention during the past season and the World Cup.

Now all that remains is to see him on the field.

Diomandé Will Have to Wait for His Debut

The Ivorian is not the only important player who will miss the match against Deportivo La Coruña.

Kylian Mbappé, Ibrahima Konaté, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Marc Cucurella, who returned on Monday following their post-World Cup vacations, are also not part of the squad. They will all continue working on their fitness ahead of the start of the season.

Meanwhile, Mourinho has kept several academy players in the group, including Joan Martínez, Mario Rivas, Lamini, Cestero, Lacosta, Ciria and Yáñez.

The message regarding Diomandé appears to be quite clear: his absence is not because of an injury or a sporting issue.

It is simply a matter of time.

Real Madrid made a historic investment to sign him, and Mourinho wants him to be fully prepared before sending him onto the field. The Ivorian’s highly anticipated debut will have to wait, but all indications are that it will only be for a few more days.

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