Real Madrid News
Real Madrid striker set to leave the club on a free transfer next summer
Real Madrid went through a major squad overhaul this past summer, with the club offloading a slew of unwanted stars including Gareth Bale, Isco, and Marcelo, while the likes of Luka Jovic and Reinier left the club on loan.
However, in their attempts to further trim the squad and further reduce the wage bill, Real Madrid are actively looking to offload other fringe players in the team.
According to Diario AS (h/t Madrid Zone), one of the players in contention to leave the club is Mariano Diaz. The 29-year-old has fallen behind in the pecking order and has no role in Carlo Ancelotti’s game-plan.
Formerly of Olympique Lyon, he is yet to even feature in a single minute of league football so far this season. His appearance of the season saw him participate only five minutes of the Champions League encounter against RB Leipzig.
Diaz has struggled with game-time at Real Madrid historically as well. He is yet to even feature in a combined total of 2000 minutes of league football ever since returning to Santiago Bernabeu.
With the forward struggling with prominence in the Real Madrid team, the club will not hand him any contract extension. His current deal at the club expires at the end of the season.
Los Blancos are likely to release him in 2023, although they would ideally like to sanction his sale in the upcoming January transfer window. It could help them generate some form of revenue, although it will not come as a surprise to see the club hand the attacker a letter of freedom.
Diaz’s exit from Santiago Bernabeu could be a step in the right direction in the club’s bid to further trim the squad. However, with Karim Benzema nearing the final phase of his career, it is essential for the club to bring in reinforcements in the goalscoring department.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid weighing up January move for €70 million-rated Arsenal midfielder – report
Real Madrid’s midfield is the one department where Jose Mourinho sees clear scope for improvement, especially given that the club did not sanction his wish for a top midfield signing in the summer.
While Bernardo Silva has chipped in as a handy option to feature in the deep midfield, the club still lacks a controlling and creative option who can glue the team together.
In that sense, there is a clear lacuna that Real Madrid need to address and Defensa Central brings to light that the club have opened up to a potential target.
Zubimendi emerges as a target
Indeed, the player in question is Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi who the club have seen as a target for a long time, and Real Madrid could even go on to sign him in January.
The Spanish international has not started off the new season well under Mikel Arteta and has primarily featured as a substitute. He does, thus, see a move to Madrid with good eyes in every sense.
Real Madrid, for their part, have not ruled out his signing as was reported in recent months and there is even a chance they seriously pursue him in the winter transfer window as a mid-season fix.
The possible fee
The Spanish outlet also add that Zubimendi’s move to Real Madrid could be completed for a fee similar to what Arsenal paid for the player for his transfer from Real Sociedad – €70 million.
Mourinho’s insistence on making a new midfield signing is no secret, and with a clear target now in mind, the board could well back him with the player he wishes.
Notably, however, even Chelsea are seriously interested in his signing.
So far, Federico Valverde has been Real Madrid’s mainstay in midfield, and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return will change the team’s dynamics in the department.
Neither player, however, offers the control and distribution skill set that the team direly lack.
A big part of whether or not the club pushes for Zubimendi, however, will depend on how the Valverde-Tchouameni combination plays out in the coming months. It is, after all, the manager’s first-choice combination for big games.
