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A grim statistic: Diomandé records the worst numbers among the 10 most expensive deals

Diomandé the most benched among the most expensive signings

Ivorian star Yan Diomande is living on the fringes at Real Madrid. He makes every squad list and gets onto the pitch every time, yet he is still waiting for a first start.

Sport newspaper reported that Diomande has played five matches for a total of just 94 minutes. Those figures make the most expensive signing in Los Blancos' history an exception among the 10 biggest deals in world football.

Real Madrid paid Leipzig 125 million euros, with a further 15 million euros agreed in incentives and variables.

On the fixed value alone, Diomande sits eighth on the list of the most expensive signings in history, level with Bradley Barcola. Meet all the agreed objectives and the deal would climb to 140 million euros. Set against the guaranteed prices of the other transfers, that would have placed him fifth, behind Alexander Isak.

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5 matches: 5 appearances as a substitute
The transfer fee placed Diomande among the giants of the transfer market. His appearances put him at the complete opposite end.
The Ivorian played 26 minutes against Espanyol, six against Real Sociedad, 25 against Malaga, 26 against Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin, and 11 against Inter Milan. That adds up to five substitute appearances. No starts, no goals, no assists.
Neymar tops the list of the most expensive, Paris Saint-Germain having paid Barcelona 222 million euros to sign him. Kylian Mbappe comes second at 180 million euros from the same club.
Next comes Enzo's move from Chelsea to Manchester City for 145.8 million euros, then Alexander Isak from Newcastle to Liverpool for 144.5 million euros, Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa to Chelsea for 137.3 million euros, Elliot Anderson from Nottingham to Manchester City for 135.5 million euros, and Joao Felix from Benfica to Atletico Madrid for 126 million euros.
Diomande and Barcola share eighth place at 125 million euros. Enzo Fernandez, in his earlier transfer from Benfica to Chelsea for 121 million euros, closes out the 10 most expensive deals.

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Diomandé has not started a match for Real Madrid so far
The comparison in EFE's report is based on the first five matches played by each team after the deal was completed, not the first five appearances of the players themselves. In older deals, clubs tended to throw new signings straight into the starting line-up.
Administrative reasons kept Neymar out of Paris Saint-Germain's first match after his 222 million euro move, but he started the following four and completed them all, racking up 360 minutes. Mbappé went one better, starting all five matches for a total of 433 minutes.
João Félix also started Atlético Madrid's first five matches and played 387 minutes, though Diego Simeone hooked him off on several occasions.
Enzo clocked up 450 minutes across the Blues' first five games after arriving. Liverpool took a more cautious approach with Isak, who joined without a proper pre-season. He missed the opening match, then featured in the next four, starting three, and played 218 minutes.
The other four deals are so recent that the clubs involved have not yet played five matches since their signings arrived. Every one of these players has started at least once.
Enzo Fernández started City's first two matches. Rogers began two of Chelsea's three games and came off the bench in the other. Anderson also started for Manchester City, while Barcola started against Atlético Madrid after a 31-minute cameo off the bench against Ipswich.
That leaves Diomande as the only player among the 10 most expensive deals in football history yet to start any of his team's first five matches. He also tops the list for substitute appearances, with five.