A quartet of La Liga clubs – Celta Vigo, Espanyol, Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla – have reportedly joined the race to sign Mariano Diaz from Real Madrid.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Mariano Diaz has popped up on the radars of various La Liga clubs over a late move in the ongoing transfer window. Celta Vigo, Espanyol, Rayo Vallecano, and Sevilla want to secure the services of the Real Madrid forward this summer.
Mariano Diaz is currently in his second coming at Real Madrid, rejoining Los Blancos from Lyon nearly four years ago. But the 28-year-old has played second-fiddle to Karim Benzema while sharing game-time with Luka Jovic in the last few seasons. As a result, he managed only 399 minutes of game-time in the 2021/22 season in 11 outings, scoring one goal and assisting another.
The player’s situation at Real Madrid has created rampant speculation around his future, with Real Madrid keen on selling him in the summer transfer window. With Carlo Ancelotti thinking about utilising Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio in a central role, Mariano is surplus to requirements at Real Madrid.
The 28-year-old was initially reluctant to leave Real Madrid in the summer transfer window despite being a peripheral figure for Los Blancos. But Mariano has recently warmed up to the idea of departing from the Santiago Bernabeu, much to Real Madrid’s delight. And his situation has alerted a quartet of La Liga clubs.
Sevilla, who will look to cash in on Youssef En-Nesyri and Munir El Haddadi before the summer transfer deadline, will need to bring in a replacement, making Mariano a viable target. As for Rayo Vallecano, with a move for Diego Costa not materialising yet, the Real Madrid forward has emerged as an option worth considering.
Meanwhile, Espanyol might need to invest in a replacement for Raul de Tomas, with the Spanish international emerging on the radars of several high-profile clubs. The fourth La Liga team showing interest in Mariano would be Celta Vigo, with the Galician outfit keen on signing a new striker after the Santi Mina controversy.
Apart from the quartet of clubs, Mariano has also emerged on the radar of another La Liga outfit in Getafe. It will be interesting to see if the 28-year-old’s second stint with Real Madrid ends anytime soon, with Los Blancos keen on cashing in on him this summer.
