Real Madrid striker, Mariano Diaz, has reportedly emerged as a loan target for Premier League outfit West Ham United in the ongoing transfer window.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, Premier League side West Ham United are lining up a loan move for out-of-favour Real Madrid forward Mariano Diaz in the January transfer window.
The 27-year-old came through the ranks at Real Madrid, having joined the U19s in 2011. Having cut his teeth with the ‘C’ team and the Real Madrid Castilla outfit, Mariano broke into the senior setup in 2016 under Zinedine Zidane. However, he made just 14 first-team appearances for the Merengues, before leaving the club for Olympique Lyon in 2017.
Mariano enjoyed a stunning spell with the Ligue 1 heavyweights during which he bagged 21 goals and 6 assists in 45 matches across all competitions. This prompted Real Madrid to re-sign him from the French outfit in the summer of 2018.
Upon returning though, the striker has found game-time hard to come by at the Spanish capital club. Over the past two and a half seasons, Mariano has made just 34 appearances across all competitions, bagging just six goals in the process. The ongoing campaign has seen the 27-year-old feature only seven times, with just one goal to his name.
Considering that Karim Benzema is the undisputed starter as the centre-forward for Real Madrid, Mariano is open to switching clubs on a temporary basis this month. And, West Ham United are hoping to make the most of his situation by offering him a way out of Spain.
The Hammers are in desperate need of a centre-forward, having allowed Sebastien Haller to join AFC Ajax earlier this month. This has left manager David Moyes with Michail Antonio as the only viable option for the centre-forward role heading into the second half of the season.
The report goes on to claim that Mariano Diaz would favour a move to London, with his playing style a suitable fit to the way Moyes sets his team up.
However, with Real Madrid also looking to offload fellow striker Luka Jovic, who is a target for AC Milan, as well this month, it remains to be seen if they are willing to part ways with both him and Mariano, as it would leave them without any cover for Benzema.