​Real Madrid summer signing names Cristiano Ronaldo his idol: ‘The pictures say everything’Real Madrid signed talented Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig this summer for a mammoth fee of €140 million.That price tag was a clear reflection of the kind of faith Los Blancos had in the teenage sensation who had taken the Bundesliga by storm last season.After signing for Madrid, Diomande reiterated that he was honoured to play for the Spanish club and that he was not feeling the pressure of the price tag.‘Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol’Now, speaking to Sporty TV in an interview, the African winger has admitted that he idolised Cristiano Ronaldo growing up.“Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol,” Diomande said.The winger is now walking through the same training facilities where Ronaldo spent some of the greatest years of his career, and the photographs around the club have clearly made an impression on Madrid’s new signing.“When I go to training, I look at his pictures. The pictures say everything,” he explained.“The walk, the aura. I’m proud to play in the club my idol played in.”For a young attacker arriving at Madrid with enormous expectations, there could hardly be a more appropriate reference point.Following Ronaldo’s footsteps at MadridRonaldo’s legacy at Real Madrid needs little introduction.His combination of goals, personality, relentless ambition and ability to perform under pressure transformed him into one of the defining players in the club’s history.Diomande is obviously at the very beginning of his own Madrid journey, and comparisons between the two would be premature.However, if Diomande could even imbibe some of the mentality that Ronaldo showed, it would set him up for success in a massive way.A dream becoming reality for DiomandeYan Diomande is Real Madrid’s record signing. (Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website)The Ivorian has made no attempt to hide what joining Madrid means to him.He previously described the club’s call as a dream, admitting he could barely sleep after learning of their interest.Now he is training surrounded by reminders of the player who helped shape that dream in the first place.There will inevitably be pressure and difficult moments ahead. Diomande is young, the expectations are enormous and Jose Mourinho has serious competition throughout his attack.However, if there is something Diomande can learn from his idol, it is that failures are always stepping stones to success.Ronaldo never gave up in spite of the numerous times that he was written off and, perhaps, Madrid fans are getting ready to see Diomande write the next iconic chapter at the Santiago Bernabeu.