💎 Wonderkid: Yan Diomande
Next up on the Wonderkid series is someone you’ve definitely never head about. Meet 18-year old Ivorian, Yan Diomande, left-winger for CD Leganés. I’ve almost immediately broken my own rules as Diomande only has 545 first-team minutes, but his numbers were just too insane to ignore.
🔍 Methodology
Other than overlooking the small sample size of minutes, we’ve kept all other metrics in place i.e., we’re remaining positionally agnostic while looking for a core set of metrics:
– Get on the ball a lot
– Progress the ball forward with forward passing or carrying (or both)
– Keep possession well
📊The numbers
With the obvious caveat that his 545 minutes is an insanely small sample size, but even in that tiny window, Diomande did things that should make scouts sit up and notice:
– 2.3 key passes per 90 (95th percentile)
– 0.33 xG per 90 (97th percentile)
– 10.57 progressive passes received (99th percentile)
– 6.11 shot-creating actions (99th percentile)
– 3.3 carries into the penalty area (99th percentile)
– 6.94 touches in the penalty area (99th percentile)
🧠Context drop
These numbers are, quite simply, outrageous. But I feel like I need to place them a little bit into context.
Yan Diomande’s story is a real interesting one. Playing high-school football in the US, leading his team to a national title at 16, he was scouted and signed by Leganés in summer 2024, before joining in the 2025 January transfer window. Though despite his obvious talent he wasn’t included in a Leganés matchday squad for a further two months until he made a nice and chill debut against none other than Real Madrid.
So not only has Diomande posted absurd numbers in a short space of time, but he has also done all of this in a team that was scrapping for their lives to avoid relegation, and who very nearly did, thanks in no small part to Diomande’s efforts. His performances must have had Leganés head coach Borja Jiménez wishing he’d trusted his 18-year-old superstar a little sooner.
🚧 Areas to improve
– Doesn’t offer much defensively (basically lives in the final third)
– Can get muscled off the ball (expected at 18)
– Rarely involved in buildup (1st percentile for defensive-third touches 😬)
With greater physical development and tactical coaching, all these components of his game will improve over time though.
👀The eye-test
He’s a wiry, two-footed left winger who loves to predominantly cut in onto his right but is also capable of driving to the byline and getting a ball in on his left. He loves little give and go moves on the edge of the box and he’s always trying to take his man on, driving into the box, cutting back for team-mates or getting a shot off. The energy and positivity of this kid is so hard to ignore. There is composure, flair, balance and poise in spades.
Take a look at his beautiful feet and finish in Leganés’ final game of the season against Valladolid to get an idea of what I mean.
🧩What’s next?
Remember how Cordero alerted some big names to his presence with his performances in the Segunda for Málaga? Well, with Leganés just suffering relegation to that division, and with Diomande involved in each of the last 10 La Liga games, it looks very likely that, should he remain at Leganés next season, he will be their starting LW.
With the resignation of head coach Jiménez, it remains to be seen whether their new coach Paco López will place the same trust in Diomande – though he really should. If Diomande gets regular minutes in the more open Segunda division, watch him fly.
This has all the markings of a £3m signing now or a £20m signing in 2-3 years time.
Bookmark him now, thank me later.
Read the first profile in our Wonderkid series on Kees Smit
