Real Madrid's €100m bid turned down

Real Madrid's now-official pursuit of Yan Diomande has hit its first obstacle. According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid sent an official €100 million bid to RB Leipzig for Diomande this week; the proposal on the table consisted of €90 million plus €10 million in add-ons. RB Leipzig rejected the offer, stating they want more than €100 million to let Diomande leave; Real Madrid remain in talks.

This development represents a concrete next step in the file we covered earlier. The story we reported on Real Madrid officially joining the race has now been tested with their first concrete offer.

An interesting historical parallel also stands out. Liverpool's initial official bid submitted back in June had exactly the same structure (€90 million plus €10 million in add-ons) and was rejected in the same way; Romano reported at the time that industry sources believed €120 million could be the "magic number" needed to reach a deal with Leipzig.

The picture on PSG's side is different. The French giants are reported to have been in talks with RB Leipzig for weeks, but no agreement has yet been reached; it was previously reported that the player had agreed personal terms with PSG on a deal until 2031 and preferred that club.

The breadth of competition also complicates the file. Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea are recalled to have also indicated they are willing to spend around €100 million on Diomande this summer, though RB Leipzig still consider this figure insufficient.

The logic behind Leipzig's negotiating strength has also become clear. It is emphasised that the club, having signed Diomande from Leganes for just €20 million last summer, holds a strong negotiating position given the player's contract runs until 2030.

Source: Fabrizio Romano
Image: Squawka