Mourinho's plan shields Diomande from €125 million deal pressure

Ivory Coast's Diomande, the most expensive signing in Real Madrid's history, has not received the minutes some expected at the start of the season, having played 25 minutes against Espanyol, 6 minutes against Real Sociedad, and 26 minutes against Málaga, totaling just 57 minutes in his first three matches.

Despite the low numbers for a player who cost Real Madrid €125 million, José Mourinho is not worried and is sticking to his specific plan for the young Ivorian star, which involves easing the pressure on him and giving him enough time to adapt to the team, rather than rushing to start him.

Diomandi is 19 years old and just two years ago he was playing with Leganés B. He has caught attention strongly and developed his level in an amazing way, to the point that some are comparing his potential to that of FC Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.

Real Madrid see Diomande as a candidate to play a very important role in the team's future, but Mourinho prefers to handle him with care, especially since the huge transfer fee could put the player under significant pressure from his first day.

José Mourinho spoke after the match against Málaga: "He must take it step by step. He is working hard and well, he is open and humble, wants to learn, listens to his teammates, and will develop. I cannot look at the amount of €120 or €130 million... How much did we pay? I need to look at a player coming from a high-level season at RB Leipzig. When we talk about such a huge amount, we are talking about a player who arrives and turns everything around immediately. But that is not the case; he is a young player. Calm down, take things easy."

Mourinho achieves more than one goal through his calm policy with Diomande; on one hand, he gives the player the time he needs to adapt to the atmosphere at Real Madrid, and on the other hand, he maintains fairness within the dressing room, especially towards Arda Güler and Brahim Díaz, who have had a strong pre-season and have succeeded in securing their places within the team over the past years.

The Portuguese coach is working to protect Diomande from pressure, gradually increasing his participation with the aim of securing a starting spot if things go as planned. He is also dedicating a significant amount of time during training to help him understand the team's movements and the dynamics of play.

Dumadi seems to be fully understanding of his coach's plan, as he trusts in Mourinho and maintains his calm and smile, even though he has already proven his ability to play at the highest levels during last season with RB Leipzig.