Real Madrid is the favorite to sign Diomande, but their offer is "not even close"
In Europe, experts agree: the Blancos are leading the race for Ousmane Diomande and have already reached an agreement on his personal terms, but RB Leipzig is demanding much more than 100 million euros.
Real Madrid has already completed a large part of its work in the transfer window, but in Spain, it is estimated that their summer is still far from over. Ousmane Diomande has become the main target for the remainder of the window, as the club's financial situation allows for at least one more major deal.
Real brought in 127.5 million euros this summer from seven deals selling academy players. This amount covered the 85 million euros spent on acquiring Marc Cucurella for 50 million, Denzel Dumfries for 20 million, and releasing Jose Mourinho from his contract for 15 million. Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konate arrived on free transfers, so the club was left with a surplus of 42.5 million euros even before further possible deals.
The main target, as mentioned, is Diomande, who according to reports may cost about 100 million euros. Real has already opened contacts with RB Leipzig to clarify the terms of the deal, but an official offer has not yet been submitted. The club sees the Ivory Coast national team player as a strategic long-term investment, even though there is already a large number of attacking players in the squad.
Fabrizio Romano claimed that an agreement on the young star's personal terms has already been reached, but now the Blancos will have to reach an agreement with RB Leipzig on the purchase terms after an offer of 90 million euros plus 10 million euros in bonuses was rejected. Paris Saint-Germain is also in the fight, but according to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, Real Madrid is the favorite. The German club is open to a sale - but a sum of 100 million euros is "not even close to being enough."
As is known, the interest in Diomande raises questions again about the future of Vinicius. The Brazilian has entered the final year of his contract, which ends in 2027, and has not yet reached an agreement on an extension after more than a year of talks. The main obstacle is financial: Vinicius reportedly demands a salary of about 30 million euros net per season, similar to Kylian Mbappe, but Real is not ready at this stage to meet the demand.
According to "Marca", there is no decision by Real to sell Vinicius, and the club is still interested in renewing his contract. However, the possible investment in Diomande, who plays in a similar position, reinforces the assessment that his signing may be accompanied later by a significant departure from the front line.
