Ivorian winger Yan Diomandé has been told he must offer more after making his first competitive appearance for Real Madrid in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Espanyol.
The 19-year-old came off the bench in the 64th minute at the RCDE Stadium as Real Madrid began their La Liga campaign with a narrow win, but his brief appearance attracted criticism from the Spanish media.
Diomandé arrived in Madrid from RB Leipzig this summer in a club-record transfer worth up to €140m including bonuses, placing enormous expectations on the Ivory Coast international.
His first official outing for the Spanish giants, however, was described as underwhelming by sections of the Madrid press.
Marca awarded Diomandé a rating of 6/10 and questioned his effectiveness when taking on defenders one-on-one.
The newspaper felt the Ivorian repeatedly attempted to beat his marker without producing enough from those situations, while also failing to take advantage of opportunities to attack space behind the defence.
That approach, according to the report, contributed to a slower attacking rhythm and reduced the threat from Real Madrid’s right flank.
AS was more measured in its assessment, describing Diomandé’s display as “timid” but also stressing that the teenager has considerably more to offer.
“He can offer much more,” the publication said in its assessment of the youngster’s performance.
Despite the criticism, Diomandé was involved in the build-up to Real Madrid’s winning goal, with Carlos Espí scoring in the 90th minute to secure all three points for Jose Mourinho’s side.
Espí’s impact was particularly striking because he had only entered the game 10 minutes before scoring.
The young striker subsequently received widespread praise and was given prominent coverage by Marca, leaving Diomandé’s debut somewhat overshadowed by the late heroics of his fellow substitute.
For Diomandé, the match nevertheless represented an important milestone in his rapid rise from African football to the highest level of the European game.
The Abidjan-born winger has quickly established himself as one of Ivory Coast’s most exciting young players and now carries the added pressure of being Real Madrid’s most expensive signing.
His move from Leipzig was one of the biggest transfers of the summer and has placed him under intense scrutiny from the moment he arrived in the Spanish capital.
Diomandé’s introduction at Espanyol came during a difficult contest in which Real Madrid had to fight until the final moments to claim victory.
Jude Bellingham put the visitors ahead early in the first half before Espanyol levelled, leaving Mourinho’s side searching for a decisive moment.
That moment eventually arrived through Espí, whose late goal gave Real Madrid a winning start to the new campaign.
Diomandé’s contribution was limited, but the next opportunity to make a stronger impression will arrive quickly.
Real Madrid are scheduled to play their first home match of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, when they face Real Sociedad in their second La Liga fixture.
