Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz is reportedly keen on staying at the club and seeing his contract out despite being linked with a summer exit.
According to El Chiringuito TV, Mariano Diaz is planning on staying put at Real Madrid and seeing out his contract, which runs until the summer of 2023.
Mariano is currently in his second stint with Real Madrid. The 28-year-old striker first joined the Merengues back in 2011 as a teenager and rose through the ranks at the club before making his senior debut in 2016. He left the Spanish capital outfit in 2017, joining French outfit Lyon, before returning to the Santiago Bernabeu a year later after an impressive debut season in Ligue 1.
Mariano has hardly been a regular since his comeback to Real Madrid. The 28-year-old striker has been behind Karim Benzema and Luka Jovic in the pecking order of things at the club and has seen game-time come at a premium.
In the season gone by, in which Los Blancos won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, Mariano featured just 11 times across all competitions, scoring and assisting one goal apiece.
Given that he is not a big part of the plans under manager Carlo Ancelotti and his contract with the club expires next year, Mariano was expected to be on his way out of Real Madrid in the upcoming transfer window. The 28-year-old is attracting interest from Turkish giants Fenerbahce, while former employers Lyon are also keen on signing the Real Madrid striker.
An exit would have made sense, considering that Mariano will continue to be behind Benzema in the pecking order. On top of that, Real Madrid are planning to add another striker to their ranks in the summer to provide cover for the French international. It would push Mariano further down the order of preference.
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However, despite the situation being as it is, Mariano does not wish to leave Real Madrid in the summer. Instead, the centre-forward is planning to see out his contract with the club and move on when his deal runs out in 2023. It will be interesting to see whether the forward’s decision has any effect on Real Madrid’s transfer plans for the summer window.