Real Madrid hierarchy told Mourinho to start 119 m£ Diomande rather than Brahim Diaz

Yan Diomande scored his first Real Madrid goal — the only goal in Sunday’s 1-0 La Liga win over Villarreal — and the context surrounding the goal is as significant as the strike itself. According to journalist Romain Molina, Diomande’s selection as a starter was not solely a decision of Jose Mourinho: the Real Madrid hierarchy had reportedly pushed for their record-breaking summer signing to receive more game time.

Brahim Diaz, who had started the Champions League win over Inter Milan, was dropped to the bench as a consequence.

Diomande had only days earlier publicly acknowledged that he was not playing much at Real Madrid, after finding just two starts in the club’s first seven Liga fixtures. The goal changes the picture considerably.

Real Madrid news: why the board are pushing for Diomande

The pressure from the Bernabeu hierarchy reflects the scale of the investment. Marca reported the full cost of the Diomande operation at approximately £119m, making him the most expensive African signing in football history.

The same newspaper described him as ‘a diamond Mourinho is managing in his own way’, while calling the winning goal ‘a flash of brilliance worth three points’. Alongside Carlos Espi, Diomande has now been directly involved in seven of Real Madrid’s 18 Liga points this season.

Real Madrid news: Vinicius ban and the Clasico opportunity

Diomande came on in the second half of a fixture that ended with considerable controversy. Vinicius Junior, who entered from the bench, had a goal disallowed by VAR for pulling the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba before being sent off for aggressively protesting the decision. The Brazilian faces a suspension that could rule him out of the El Clasico against Barcelona on October 25th.

Real Madrid intend to appeal but are privately pessimistic about overturning the dismissal. Should Vinicius be absent for the Camp Nou fixture, Diomande would be among the primary beneficiaries in terms of playing time. The coming weeks — a Champions League trip to Roma, La Liga against Sevilla and then potentially the Clasico — represent a genuine window for the 19-year-old to establish himself.

In the mean time, Brahim Diaz is struggling to find consistancy with the Merengue side. With only one year left on his contract, the Morocco international could be tempted to look for a new challenge in the next weeks.