West Ham United have reportedly entered the race to sign Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz, who is also on the radars of Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.
According to a report from El Nacional, West Ham United are lining up a January raid on La Liga giants Real Madrid for the signing of centre-forward Mariano Diaz, who is also a target for Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.
Mariano is currently in his second stint with Real Madrid. The 28-year-old first joined Los Blancos as a youth player back in 2011 and spent six years with the club, making a handful of first-team appearances without really making a mark. In 2017, he signed for French outfit Olympique Lyon where he enjoyed a stunning debut season, forcing Real Madrid to re-sign him in the following summer.
Mariano was given the No. 7 jersey upon his return, with Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the club in the same window. While he made a promising start to his second spell back in Spain, the centre-forward soon faded and again became a peripheral figure in the setup, falling down the pecking order behind Karim Benzema and Luka Jovic, who arrived in 2019.
Across his two spells, Mariano has made 65 appearances for the Merengues, netting just 11 goals. The striker is well out of favour under Carlo Ancelotti this season, having played just three times in all competitions and is being linked with an exit in January. A move away to Sevilla has been touted, while there has also been interest from local rivals Atletico Madrid.
Now, West Ham United have also emerged as suitors in pursuit of the 28-year-old former Dominican Republic international. The Hammers are in the market for attacking reinforcements as they lack a proper cover for star forward Michail Antonio.
With the east London giants competing for a top-four finish in the Premier League and making it through to the UEFA Europa League knockout stages, squad depth across all competitions becomes imperative. To that end, David Moyes is looking at several centre-forwards, including former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Mariano, too, has popped up on the radar of the Hammers. While his numbers at Real Madrid hardly set the pulses racing, the 28-year-old showed during his time at Lyon that he can make a difference at the top with regular game-time. Similar to Antonio in the way he operates, the forward has the potential to be a handy addition to the West Ham squad.
However, the report states that Real Madrid are demanding a transfer fee of €20 million for the striker. Whether the London giants are willing to meet that valuation or look at more cost-effective options remains to be seen.
