At Real Madrid they don't literally know what to do with Mariano Díaz. The last hours of the transfer market opened a real possibility for the Spanish-Dominican forward to temporarily leave the white club, a maneuver that the white club has been trying in different ways in the last four transfer windows. Always without success because Mariano simply does not want to hear about leaving Madrid. Nor this past Tuesday when from Concha Espina he received a proposal from Rayo Vallecano. One year on loan and Madrid prepared to sign the agreement immediately and send the paperwork in time to be registered in LaLiga. Not for those.
Madrid couldn't make it easier for Mariano. A First Division club in the same city, so he would not have to leave his luxurious mansion in Pozuelo or his impressive luxury car team, and without losing a euro during the change of shirt. The white entity rowed in favor of the operation assuming a very important part of the striker's salary as long as he accepted. Also the delivery of a Lightning that by then had not closed the hiring of Radamel Falcao, whom he had waiting. That is to say, Mariano would not have weight competition in Vallecas and would have a team ready to supply balls and more balls to his physical football. Nor did that argument change his mind. Not even the intermediation of his own agents and his father …
The funny thing is that the first team that was able to do something that Valdebebas almost had by a miracle, that Mariano leaves Madrid even if it is only one year (he has a contract until 2023), was Valencia. A final day in which Bordalás' team walked behind him and in the end, ironies of life, the one signed was ex-Castillian striker Hugo Duro. The most tangible thing ended up being the Rayo and at 9:30 p.m., the ball was exclusively on Mariano's roof, but he ignored any kind of advice and kicked him. At Rayo, as the minutes went by, they did not know very well how to proceed because their three-way negotiation to close two forwards from the mini-list formed by Mariano, Falcao and Sergio Guardiola depended on the Real Madrid player. Finally they had to press the 'abort mission' button and it was the last two who will play on Avenida de la Albufera.
Another assignment that he did not want to sign
It is not the first time that Mariano smashes a loan already agreed and blessed by Real Madrid. It also happened last summer, with Benfica, but in that attempt (already almost publicized from Lisbon) the attacker took off asking for a salary increase and in Da Luz it was considered impossible. It has been the usual trend in each transfer market since 2019 and even more so with Madrid blowing up the calculator to reduce salaries during the pandemic. The interested clubs gave up shocked by Mariano's huge record (€ 4.2M per year net), his null predisposition to change of scene with any excuse or both at the same time.
Mariano, in a Madrid training session.
realmadrid.com
Mariano has become an obstacle to Ancelotti's interest in having a shorter squad as the Italian has chosen Jovic as Benzema's substitute and has done so by maintaining his castling position to block any possible exit. A veto stronger than titanium and which will be put to the test again in January …