Liverpool may have made the right call after missing out on Yan Diomandé

Liverpool spent months pursuing Yan Diomandé before eventually losing the race to Real Madrid, but the opening weeks of the season suggest that missing out on the highly-rated winger may not have been such a damaging blow.

The 19-year-old had been strongly linked with Liverpool throughout the previous season while starring for RB Leipzig. Diomandé even publicly admitted that he wanted to play for the Reds, but Leipzig's huge valuation prevented a January transfer.

Liverpool maintained their interest and reportedly sent representatives to Germany before stepping up their pursuit ahead of the summer window.

Real Madrid ultimately won the race, paying €125million to make Diomandé the most expensive signing in the club's history.

So far, however, the move has not produced the immediate impact expected from such an enormous investment.

Diomandé has struggled to establish himself under José Mourinho during the opening weeks of his Real Madrid career.

His first start came against Rayo Vallecano, but the winger failed to register a shot on target during 72 minutes and managed only two touches inside the opposition penalty area.

Mourinho has already attempted to lower expectations surrounding his record signing.

The Real Madrid manager does not expect Diomandé to “take the world by storm” immediately and has described the teenager as “too young and too naïve”, although he also stressed that the winger possesses “incredible potential”.

Competition for places has added another obstacle.

Diomandé is not only competing against Madrid's established attacking superstars, with Arda Güler and Brahim Diaz also currently ahead of him in Mourinho's plans.

There is obviously plenty of time for that hierarchy to change. At 19, Real Madrid have invested primarily in what Diomandé could eventually become rather than simply what he can offer today.

Liverpool did not respond to missing Diomandé by lowering their ambitions.

Instead, the Reds eventually spent €125m on Bradley Barcola, meaning their alternative cost only around €1m more than the package Real Madrid paid for Diomandé.

The difference is experience.

Barcola arrived with 34 goals and 30 assists from 130 appearances at senior level. Diomandé, meanwhile, had produced 14 goals and 10 assists before moving to Madrid.

That does not mean Liverpool have definitively secured the better player. Diomandé's potential remains enormous and Mourinho clearly believes there is significant development still to come.

But Liverpool needed an attacker capable of making an immediate contribution rather than another expensive long-term project.

Based on the early evidence, ending up with the more established Barcola may have suited their requirements considerably better.

Diomandé's first few weeks in Madrid should not determine the success of a transfer built around his long-term potential. Mourinho will have to gradually integrate the teenager and find a role that allows his talent to develop without the €125m price tag becoming an overwhelming burden.

Liverpool, meanwhile, can focus on extracting immediate value from Barcola. If the Frenchman delivers consistently while Diomandé requires a lengthy adaptation period in Spain, missing out on their original target could increasingly look like a fortunate outcome rather than a transfer failure.