“The bitter loser”: Spain mocks Paris Saint-Germain after missing out on Diomande

  Yan Diomande is Real Madrid-bound. The Ivory Coast forward’s switch is all but done, with Los Blancos seeing off Paris Saint-Germain to land the deal and stirring up quite the fuss in Spain.

PSG confirmed last night that they were pulling out of the race for the Leipzig man, ending all negotiations. The fees and financial demands had climbed to extreme levels, threatening to upset the balance of the transfer market.

The website “Foot Mercato” put it this way: “As the back-to-back Champions League title holder and the most decorated club in France in recent years, Paris Saint-Germain will not be drawn into the game of manipulation and manoeuvring carried out by some agents.” The club, they say, will press on with its transfer strategy calmly and confidently. PSG announced their withdrawal from the Diomande deal in an official statement sent to the media on Sunday evening.

That exit hands Real Madrid a clear run. They are expected to wrap things up quickly, with some Spanish outlets pointing to an official announcement within hours.

Madrid supporters have wasted no time crowing over their club’s edge on PSG. Many on social media reckon the French side are simply sore losers after being beaten to the punch. The irony is hard to miss: PSG denouncing an inflated market they may well have done plenty to inflate over recent years.

 The Spanish press are toasting Real Madrid for “beating” PSG. Radio station Cadena SER declared: “The truth is that Diomande preferred Real Madrid over Paris Saint-Germain”.

Marca ran with a similar line in an article published last night: “This morning, Paris Saint-Germain still believes it is capable of signing the player despite Real Madrid’s persistent attempts”.

Sergio Valentin, a journalist at several outlets including Radio Marca, twisted the knife: “There is a passage in Paris Saint-Germain’s press statement that makes me laugh. Bayern Munich have the right to say that, but Paris Saint-Germain complaining about the transfer market is a heavy joke coming from those who call for genuine financial fair play”.