‘Lamine’s way better’ - Challenge faced by €140m Real Madrid star Yan Diomande as teenage winger faces inevitable comparisons with Barcelona wonderkid Yamal

Yamal is an established superstar in that division having started his record-shattering rise to prominence in 2023 as a precociously-gifted 15-year-old. The Spain international now has domestic titles, a Golden Boy award, European Championship and World Cup crown to his name.

The Barca starlet registered 24 goals last season, despite nursing the odd injury, and has become a useful source of assists. He is being challenged to take his game to even greater heights after already being likened to fellow La Masia academy graduate Lionel Messi.

While Yamal often steals the show at Camp Nou, Real Madrid have acquired another exciting winger of their own. They have invested considerable faith and funds in Ivorian youngster Diomande - having snapped him up from RB Leipzig. He will be operating alongside Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham at Santiago Bernabeu.

Diomande is eight months older than Yamal, but occupies a similar talent pool. His efforts for Real will be placed under the same microscope as Yamal’s contribution in Catalunya. He will find it impossible to avoid that spotlight.

Quizzed on whether that pressure should be embraced, ex-Blancos star McManaman - who was speaking to GOAL courtesy of ESPN on Disney+, who will be showing Jose Mourinho’s first La Liga game back at the helm this Saturday when Real take in a trip to Espanyol - said: “I mean, Lamine's way better than him at this moment in time. I saw him 20 months ago playing at Leganes, you can't believe how he's gone from that to this - I don't think anybody can.

“But football is like that nowadays, it's just stories like that, big money for big players. We’ve mentioned style and substance before, Lamine has done that. He was 16 and he was doing it, he's 17 he's winning more, he's 18, he's 19, he's won the World Cup, I mean it's exceptional.

“There will be comparisons made but Lamine is far, far more experienced than Diomande even though they're similar ages but that's what he has to aim for, he has to aim for the consistency of Lamine Yamal.

“And also the pressure of playing for Real Madrid because you know Franco Mastantuono is a big name in Argentina, River Plate, record signing etc come to Real Madrid, wasn't experienced enough, I think wasn't old enough mentally to really take it on and improve when the team was struggling and that'll be Yan Diomande this year.

“They'll have to hit the floor running because if they have a few bad results and the crowd start getting on them, you need to be a big character to be able to control what the crowds are moaning about etc. So it'll be a test for them all and especially if your nearest and dearest rivals are excelling, that becomes even more of a test so there's lovely subplots all over the park and all over the place next year in La Liga.

“I love the fact that Barca are starting to get their act together financially off the field now, Camp Nou getting finished, more finances, buying nice players themselves, so it just elevates La Liga yet again.”

Diomande is considered to be the hottest of prospects, with plenty of potential in his game still to be unlocked, and he will be looking at Yamal as an example of what can be achieved through a combination of natural ability and unshakable self belief.

The first El Clasico of 2026-27 is due to take place in October, when Real pay a visit to Camp Nou, and Mourinho will hope that his side are firing on all cylinders - at home and abroad - by the time an eagerly-anticipated fixture is taken in.

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