After preferring Real Madrid: Diomande shocks Liverpool with a frank admission

Yan Diomande, the recent signing for Real Madrid, has hinted that his dream was never to move to Liverpool.

The "Liverpool Echo" network reported that the English giants were ready to pay Leipzig 86 million pounds for Diomande.

Leipzig valued the player at more than 100 million pounds, though, and Liverpool withdrew once it emerged that Diomande fancied a move to European champions Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG also baulked at the sum Leipzig were demanding. That left the door open for Real Madrid, who swooped for the young forward earlier this month in a deal worth a maximum of 120 million pounds.

Rumour now has it that Diomande had been dreaming of the Santiago Bernabeu all along.

Michael Yormark, co-founder of the Roc Nation agency that represents Diomande, said: "Nathan Campbell, Diomande's agent, sat down with the Ivorian player, and they talked about his dreams and ambitions."

According to Yormark, Diomande affirmed: "I want to be the best player in the world, I want to win the Ballon d'Or, and I want to win titles, and my biggest dream has always been to play for Real Madrid."

Yormark explained: "We had to put in place the right plan to achieve his dream. We built a team around this young player. This deal represents a big moment for all of us too. We took an ambitious young man and turned his ambition into reality."

Campbell, head of global talent recruitment in football at Roc Nation, told the SportsBoom.co.za website: "This historic deal with Real Madrid is a testament to the incredible work ethic that Yan possesses."

He stressed: "We could not be prouder to have contributed to the completion of the biggest transfer deal for an African player in the history of football."

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