Real Madrid willing to sanction free transfer to offload 29-year-old: Reports
Real Madrid are willing to sanction a free transfer for unwanted striker Mariano Diaz this summer, according to Spanish publication Marca.
Diaz still has one year left on his contract but Los Blancos are desperate to offload him before the end of the current transfer window on September 1. Several clubs are believed to have approached Real Madrid for a transfer, but the player has rejected their respective offers.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti has informed the Dominican Republic striker that he will be at the bottom of the pecking order in his squad. Diaz was an unused substitute in both of Madrid's La Liga games earlier this month.
They beat UD Almeria 2-1 before putting four past Celta Vigo in a 4-1 win, but Diaz did not see a single minute of action in both games.
He scored and assisted a goal each in nine La Liga appearances last season, of which just six came as starts. Ancelotti may have told Diaz that he is at the bottom of the pile when it comes to his centre-forwards, but Madrid's No. 24 can still expect to get some minutes this season.
Apart from Diaz, the 14-time UEFA Champions League winners only have Karim Benzema as a recognized senior striker. The club saw centre-forwards Luka Jovic and Borja Mayoral leave the club on a permanent basis earlier this summer.
The La Liga giants also famously missed out on Kylian Mbappe, who decided to extend his contract until 2025 at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
PSG striker offered to Real Madrid before transfer deadline
PSG centre-forward Mauro Icardi has reportedly been offered to Real Madrid by his intermediaries over a potential move in the coming days.
According to Defensa Central (h/t the Hard Tackle), the 29-year-old is even willing to take a 50% pay cut in order to join the Santiago Bernabeu outfit. The Argentine international has had a mixed time at the Parc des Princes since joining from Inter Milan in the summer of 2019.
He scored four goals in 24 Ligue 1 appearances last season but is yet to play a single minute of senior football during this campaign. Manager Christophe Galtier is spoilt for choices up front.
Barring an injury, it is highly unlikely that Icardi will displace Kylian Mbappe in Les Parisiens' starting XI. He could be assigned a similar role at Real Madrid.
However, he has been told by Galtier to find a new club and it looks very likely that his three-year stint with the Ligue 1 giants is coming to an end.