Ligue 1 giants Lyon are reportedly keen on re-signing former striker Mariano Diaz from Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Mariano Diaz is the subject of interest from Lyon over a possible move in the summer transfer window. Les Gones have contacted Real Madrid to discuss a transfer for their former striker ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Mariano Diaz is currently in his second spell with Real Madrid after rejoining Los Blancos from Lyon in August 2018. But the player’s return has not worked out as envisioned, as he has played second fiddle to Karim Benzema over the last four years, with opportunities coming few and far between.
This season, the 28-year-old has garnered less than 400 minutes of action across 11 appearances, scoring and assisting a goal apiece. And Mariano’s frustrations at Real Madrid have boiled over, with a summer departure from the Santiago Bernabeu likely to go through. There is no shortage of interest in the player either, with Lyon keen on re-signing him.
Lyon failed to fill the void left by the departure of Memphis Depay last summer, with goals coming at a premium at times for them. Les Gones could also lose Moussa Dembele in the summer transfer window, with Manchester United reportedly interested in securing his services.
Mariano is thus a viable target for his former club, with Lyon even contacting Real Madrid to discuss a possible move in the summer transfer window. The Spanish giants are open to selling the 28-year-old forward ahead of the 2022/23 season and will put an affordable price tag on him.
The report claims Real Madrid might demand around €6 million for Mariano, and the price tag should fall within Lyon’s miserly budget. But Lyon will need to move quickly to secure the services of their former forward, who has also been linked with Fenerbahce in the last few weeks.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid will likely target a young striker to replace Mariano in the summer transfer window, with Henrique Araujo among the youngsters emerging on their radar. As for Mariano, it will be interesting to see if he returns to his former club ahead of the 2022/23 season.