Real Madrid News
Real Madrid flop wanted on a free transfer by Italian giants this month
Mariano Diaz will see his contract with Real Madrid expire at the end of the season. The out-of-favour striker is not a player that Carlo Ancelotti counts on and according to Cadena SER, Italian giants SS Lazio are interested in signing him this month.
Mariano returned to Real Madrid in 2018, after a season away at Olympique Lyon where he enjoyed a solid campaign. However, the 29-year-old was unable to produce the same kind of form upon returning to the Santiago Bernabeu and soon fell down the pecking order.
The striker has hardly taken the field for Real Madrid under Carlo Ancelotti, playing just 11 times across all competitions last season. He has taken the field just five times in 2022/23, clocking up a meagre 25 minutes of on-field action.
Real Madrid have no intentions of extending his expiring contract at the end of the season and Mariano seems primed to leave the club as a free agent come summer.
However, Italian club Lazio are hoping to accelerate his exit from the Santiago Bernabeu by signing him up in the ongoing winter transfer window itself.
The Biancocelesti are pushing for a top-four finish and with ace striker Ciro Immobile sidelined with an injury, Maurizio Sarri’s side are on the lookout for a new centre-forward.
But with finances tight, they are looking at cost-effective options, which has led them to Mariano Diaz.
As per the report, Lazio want to sign the Real Madrid striker without shelling out any transfer fee for his services, as he has less than six months left on his contract.
Given that the 29-year-old is not a part of Ancelotti’s scheme, Los Blancos could be open to the prospect of sanctioning an exit this month, even if they do not receive a fee for his services. With less than two weeks left in the transfer window, only time will tell if this move materialises.
The current edition of the Real Madrid squad is full of young talents, who have shown remarkable potential in recent years.
Arda Guler is among the young players looking to make a mark in European football in the years to come.
The young Turk joined Real Madrid earlier this summer, rejecting many other European giants in the process.
Toni Kroos mentoring Guler at Real Madrid
Guler has not enjoyed the best of starts to his life at Santiago Bernabeu, as he is spending a brief time on the sidelines due to an injury.
However, Guler has not stopped working on his characteristics, as he looks to kickstart his Real Madrid career on a positive note.
To that end, the former Fenerbahce starlet is receiving some key support from one of Real Madrid’s midfield pillars in the form of Toni Kroos.
This is according to MARCA, which suggests that the German international is mentoring Guler in his early days at Santiago Bernabeu.
Kroos: huge ‘sponsor’ of Guler
The report highlights how Toni Kroos is a huge admirer of Arda Guler. The German had even heaped praise on the youngster from Turkey when he joined the club earlier in the summer.
Guler, therefore, is closely training with Kroos, whose years of experience, composure, and knowledge of football, could help the youngster grow at Santiago Bernabeu.
This fits in well with Carlo Ancelotti’s vision at Real Madrid, as the Italian boss wants youngsters to have room to grow, especially with guidance from some of the older guards in the team.
It is one of the key reasons Real Madrid wanted to stick to Kroos and Luka Modric, despite bringing in Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Guler, therefore, has the stage set for him to start his Real Madrid career on a strong note. After impressing in training, the next step for the youngster is to make a promising debut, which is just around the corner.
