Real Madrid are set to re-sign midfielder Omar Mascarell in the summer, by triggering the buyback clause in his contract.
European champions Real Madrid are plotting to bring back midfielder Omar Mascarell from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer, by triggering the buyback option of €4 million, as per a report from Spanish outlet AS.
The 25-year old defensive midfielder was on the books of the Spanish capital club between 2010 and 2015, having joined from CD Laguna and mainly played for the B and C teams for Madrid, while also enjoying loan spells away at Derby County and Sporting Gijon. He did make one La Liga appearance for Los Blancos in 2013.
Mascarell moved to Frankfurt in the summer of 2016 and has established himself as a key figure for the German side. Having made 33 appearances in his debut campaign, the Spaniard has missed a good chunk of the ongoing season owing to an Achilles tendon operation he underwent in the summer. But he is fully fit now and has featured six times for Frankfurt, who are fifth in the Bundesliga.
And amid rising interest in the player, especially among German clubs, Madrid are understood to be keen on activating his buyback clause and taking him back to the club in the summer. It is being claimed by the source that Madrid will consider whether to sell him to a higher offer in the range of €15 million, which would present a decent profit for the club.
Real Madrid may have lined up their first summer signing, with an interesting two-pronged strategyhttps://t.co/e5IgBjPEvx
— AS English (@English_AS) February 26, 2018
There is also a possibility of the club holding onto him in the summer, given that most of Zinedine Zidane’s regular midfielders will be away on international duty for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Toni Kroos and Casemiro are all certain to be involved in the showpiece event and are likely to miss the start of the pre-season.
And if Mascarell manages to impress the manager during this time, there is a chance that Real Madrid might look to keep him as a squad player, subject to the player accepting a bit-part role at the club, when the heavy hitters return to action.
For the deal to go through though, Frankfurt are likely to demand midfielder Marcos Llorente as a direct replacement for Mascarell, with the Spaniard either going to Germany on loan or permanently, with an option for the reigning European champions to buy him back.
The promising 23-year old has had to settle with being used sparingly by the manager this season and has made just 15 appearances across all competitions, only two of which have been starts in the La Liga. An opportunity to play regularly and test himself in foreign conditions would appeal to the player but it remains to be seen if any of this comes to fruition in the summer.
