Why Everton must take a punt on Real Madrid forward Mariano Diaz
Back in October, Spanish outlet Eldesmarque (h/t The Liverpool Echo) had claimed that Real Madrid are desperate to offload Mariano Diaz in January and would listen to offers of around €15million. And the Boot Room (h/t The Liverpool Echo) claimed Everton would be interested in a January swoop.
Mariano Diaz, 26, returned to Real Madrid last summer after a productive season with Lyon where he netted 21 goals in the 2017/18 season. However, he has been frozen out by Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu this season, failing to make an appearance for the club till date.
With the one-cap Dominican Republic international completely out of favour under Zidane at Real, Everton should make a move for the forward during the winter transfer window.
Everton have endured a disappointing campaign, with Marco Silva getting the sack last month. Duncan Ferguson has been appointed as the interim manager and the Scotsman started off brightly with a 3-1 win over Chelsea at Goodison Park.
Nonetheless, the Toffees have a lot of problems that need to be addressed in January. One of their main concerns has been scoring goals, with just 19 scored in 16 games.
Summer signing Moise Kean has struggled to live up to his billing and is yet to open his account for the new club. Cenk Tosun has failed to replace the big boots of Romelu Lukaku, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin has blown hot and cold.
Richarlison has played centrally on many occasions this season and although he’s been Everton’s best player this season, the Brazilian is at his lethal best when operating down the left. Thus, signing a centre-forward is an absolute must and Mariano could be a smart addition to the Merseyside outfit’s ranks.
Mariano has failed to hit the heights he was expected to do so at Real after returning from a solid spell with Lyon.
At Lyon, the 26-year-old did show his potency in front of goal and the ability to link with forwards like Memphis Depay and Bertrand Traore. Thus, there’s no doubt that the Madrid star would excel at Everton, with a proper system, players and backing from the manager.
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The Real ace would not only add quality to Everton’s attack but also some much-needed competition in the squad. Playing alongside the likes of Richarlison, Iwobi and Gylfi Sigurdsson, Mariano could be vital in turning around Everton’s fortunes this campaign.
Verdict
With the January window approaching, Everton must take advantage of Mariano’s situation at Real Madrid and get their hands on him before he makes other decisions.