Yan Diomande is not yet a Real Madrid player, with a reported dispute between agencies serving to delay the transfer of the teenager’s registration from RB Leipzig.
It’s a problem that has been brewing all year, long before Diomande was deciding what his next step might be. Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool were initially trying to convince him to join them, with Real Madrid arriving on the scene slightly later and winning the fight.
But even with a transfer worth close to $156 million (€135 million) overall believed to be agreed, completion of the Diomande deal is being held up by something out of Real Madrid’s control.
Two Agencies Fighting Over Diomande
The issue exists between Maxidel Management, the small-time firm run by ex-Côte d’Ivoire national team player Max Gradel, and Roc Nation Sports, Jay-Z’s vast stable which is seeking to grow its soccer presence by picking up players like Diomande. Vinícius Júnior, Endrick, Gabriel Martinelli and USMNT defender Chris Richards are just some of those represented by the latter.
Maxidel Management oversaw Diomande’s transfer to Leipzig from Leganés last summer and signed the player to a new contract for the right to represent him at the start of 2026. The agency called it “a testament to a solid relationship built on trust, commitment and a shared vision for his sporting career” and thanked Diomande for his “loyalty and confidence.”
Just five weeks later, Roc Nation Sports formally welcomed Diomande to the “family” in a social media post. During the early stages of the World Cup in June, Roc Nation’s primary Instagram account shared pictures of the player visiting the firm’s HQ in New York.
Shortly after Roc Nation Sports first laid claim to Diomande, Maxidel Management publicly stated that Diomande “remains contractually bound to our agency.”
Real Madrid Hoping for ‘Swift Resolution’
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