Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward attracting interest from the Premier League, Serie A, claims agent
Mariano Diaz’s departure from Real Madrid in June appears to be one of the moves written in stone. The player initially thought to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s successor has been far from the expectation and has been reduced to a mere presence on the bench in recent seasons.
The forward’s agent, David Aranda, recently gave an interview covering the situation and opportunities for his client and told Bolavip about the various options Mariano had on the table.
“We have interest from the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga and more. Mariano’s profile is always very appealing. He is looking for a club he will continue to be happy in, whether he plays or not.”
The 29-year-old has struggled for minutes under Carlo Ancelotti. His period at Real Madrid has been far from the dreams and expectations weighed up on him at the time of his signing. His agent stated his client’s intentions to leave Real Madrid and the motivation behind the change of scenery.
“He’s looking for a good team where he can be happy, which is not that he’s not happy in Madrid, but his contract runs out. A team where he can continue to be happy, regardless of whether he plays or not. There are many circumstances to consider.”
Finally, Aranda addressed the topic of clubs from Brazil being interested in the centre-forward by saying: “Every three months we have interest from a new team. Brazil? No team from Brazil has contacted us.”
The former Lyon star has made just six league appearances for Los Blancos this term and has played just over an hour. His last goal for Real Madrid came back in May 2022.
Real Madrid News
Report: Mourinho’s preferred pivot combination for Real Madrid’s big games this season
The midfield pecking order at Real Madrid still remains unclear five games into the new season, especially given that Los Blancos could not make the signings they expected.
Federico Valverde has remained a constant in the double pivot under Jose Mourinho, but his partner has changed constantly.
Eduardo Camavinga and Bernardo Silva have been the manager’s primary options to partner Valverde in midfield so far this season, and Aurelien Tchouameni’s absence through injury has been one pioneering factors for the same. The Frenchman, however, is back now from injury and it remains to be seen how the dynamic changes.
The big game pair
As confirmed in a recent update on El Larguero, Jose Mourinho has decided his pivot his big games now and it will indeed be the Valverde-Tchouameni combination.
The Uruguayan star has made his presence felt this season with strong shifts in terms of pressing and an attacking output. He was even named the man of the match against Inter Milan and is seemingly undroppable.
What Tchouameni will bring to the table, however, is defensive solidity – something that is a non-negotiable given that the forwards barely provide any defensive work-rate.
Having Valverde and Tchouameni at the base of midfield will help cut short opposition buildups and disrupt the play.
Waters will be tested soon
Tchouameni made his much-awaited return to the field in Real Madrid’s game against Inter Milan and came on for Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 79th minute.
He briefly joined Valverde in the double pivot at the time and provided a glimpse of how the duo can work in tandem in the defensive midfield. However, the waters are yet to be tested adequately.
With the Frenchman now fit, Jose Mourinho could well look to start the duo together in Real Madrid’s coming games. They have played together in the past, but doing so in a double pivot in Mourinho’s system is demanding.
Moreover, there are concerns over the team’s drop in creativity and distribution with Valverde and Tchouameni at the heart of midfield, and it remains to be seen if the manager can come up with a workable solution.
After all, the players had a bad falling out on a personal level just months ago.
