What’s the story?
Real Madrid forward Mariano Diaz rejected about 10 offers to leave the club on deadline day, according to a report in Spanish newspaper AS. The 23-year-old was close to accepting offers from Deportivo Alaves and Real Betis, who wanted him on loan until the end of the season, only for Mariano to decide to stay with Los Blancos until the summer transfer window.
In case you didn’t know...
Trending
Real Madrid have been hit with a transfer fan, which has limited the number of outgoing transfers from the club. Lucas Silva’s loan back to Cruzeiro was the only piece of transfer news that Real Madrid got done, with Mariano’s loan deal on the line going into deadline day as well. The forward was drafted into the squad in the 2016/17 after an impressive time at Real Madrid Castilla in the previous season.
The Details
Mariano has been a highly sought after prospect by many clubs round the world, with the youngster even rejecting an advance from Liverpool in the transfer window, with a view to only considering offers from Spain. Deportivo Alaves had made the best bid, according to the report, highlighting the success of Marcos Llorente at the club, and offering Mariano the role of first-choice striker, as the Basque side had only netted 17 goals this season.
Despite such a tempting offer, Mariano chose to remain at Real Madrid, with a view to negotiating from a stronger position in the summer. Zinedine Zidane has opted to use the reserves in the Copa del Rey, but having exited the competition, Mariano is unlikely to get any significant game-time having racked up just 35 minutes in the pitch in La Liga.
Strangely, Mariano remains Real Madrid’s third-most effective forward, having scored 5 times in 223 minutes at a rate of a goal every 45 minutes. You can watch his obvious talent here :
What next?
Having found first-team opportunities difficult to come by, Mariano definitely needs to seek assurances of playing time or leave Real Madrid in the summer.
Sportskeeda’s Take
At the age of 23, Mariano is approaching his peak years and should ideally be playing on a regular basis. However, Real Madrid are a special club to be at, and the forward could raise his profile considerably if he scores once again for Real Madrid. It should pave the way for a better offer in the summer, although there is a danger of stagnating in the reserves.
