Real fears making the same mistake again with Diomandé.

Supporters are already growing impatient with Diomandé. The new signing has barely played at the start of the season, as Real Madrid have chosen to take a different approach with him.

It is quite clear that Real Madrid do not want to rush things with Yan Diomandé. Signed this summer for €125 million, the Ivorian has still not started a single match. He has featured, but only for a few minutes at the end of games.

At first glance, that amount of playing time is quite surprising for the most expensive player in Real Madrid’s history. The transfer fee could even rise to €140 million if Diomandé reaches certain performance-related objectives. Nevertheless, the Madrid club has decided to be patient.

José Mourinho explained the situation once again before the match against Inter Milan. Diomandé was the last player to arrive this summer, did not have an ideal pre-season and still needs time to adapt.

“We have to take things step by step with Diomandé,” the coach explained, making it clear that he does not intend to change the plan that has been put in place for the new signing.

The Mastantuono example

This cautious approach is also linked to what happened with Mastantuono last season. The Argentine arrived from River Plate the previous summer, also for a significant fee of €63 million. At just 18 years old, he came to Madrid with huge expectations surrounding him.

Unlike Yan Diomandé, however, he was not really given time to settle in. With few alternatives on the right wing, Xabi Alonso quickly placed him in the starting XI, and Mastantuono went on to start several matches in a row.

QUÉ CALIDAD, QUÉ BUENO ES YAN DIOMANDE 😍 pic.twitter.com/Tcqslt7HCm

— (fan) REAL MADRID FANS 🤍 (@AdriRM33) September 10, 2026

His performances were far from convincing, but the Basque coach continued to trust him until the player suffered an injury. When he returned, the Argentine lost his place. The bench then became his regular destination before he eventually left on loan to Fiorentina this summer.

Naturally, that experience is still fresh in the minds of people at Real Madrid. With Diomandé, the club wants to avoid rushing his development.

The player cost a huge amount of money, but his price tag should not force Mourinho to throw him into the deep end before he is ready. Real Madrid want to protect their investment, give Diomandé the time he needs to adapt and avoid repeating the mistakes made with Mastantuono.