Manchester United did not seriously compete to sign Yan Diomande, and with good reason.
Yan Diomande is set to clinch his move to Real Madrid after they beat competition from Paris Saint-Germain. The winger also rejected interest from City. Spanish newspaper AS report an announcement is imminent.
Earlier in the year, Diomande was tipped as a possible target for Manchester United. However, RB Leipzig’s huge asking price meant he was never a serious consideration.
The fee is expected to be in excess of £100 million, and that’s just too much for a player who was outshone by Amad at the World Cup.
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What is your INSTANT REACTION as Manchester United beat Rosenborg 5-0
Who impressed you most and why?
Yan Diomande too big a risk
Manchester United would have had to break the club’s transfer record to sign Diomande. We have seen over the years that Old Trafford is unforgiving for young, developing players arriving for high fees.
Diomande is talented but he is unproven at the highest level. He has only had one full season in the Bundesliga.
United have taken expensive risks on players with a larger sample size, and been burned. See two examples.
- Jadon Sancho (£73m)
- Antony (£82m)
A poor work ethic was one of the reasons Sancho failed, but it was not the only one. He was simply not good enough for the Premier League.
While he got time and space in the Bundesliga, Sancho was not afforded this in the Premier League and lacked the confidence to take players on.
Antony had experience playing in another inferior league, the Eredivisie, and struggled to find consistency.
Antony did have his moments, but his confidence was sapped by criticism. The pressure of the high fee and scrutiny of his game led to him regressing.
United simply cannot afford to take the same kind of gamble on Yan Diomande.
The club are reluctant enough to get near the £80 million range under Ineos, let alone £100 million. If that is to happen, it needs to be a player who is a guaranteed hit.
Diomande is anything but. He is a bright talent but one who is totally untested.
Let Real Madrid take the gamble, they are in a position to, and want to appease new boss Jose Mourinho with an expensive addition.
Will Diomande go and make United regret not moving for him? Possibly? But this is not a case of him being available at £25 million, which may more accurately reflect the current risk-reward situation.
For £100 million, United should be comfortable that this time they are making the right choice not to overspend.
Which Manchester United academy star impressed you the most vs Rosenborg?
Shea Lacey, Jacob Devaney, Harry Amass and Ethan Williams all scored, but there were so many impressive performances!
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