When Karim Benzema was ruled out for four successive La Liga games due to a muscle injury, this felt like a golden opportunity for Mariano Diaz to stake his claim in the absence of Real Madrid’s Ballon D’Or winning talisman.
But Carlo Ancelotti, as it transpired, would sooner force Rodrygo Goes or Vinicius Jr into a new-fangled centre-forward role than give Madrid’s eternal benchwarmer an opportunity to show why Los Blancos paid £20 to bring him back to the Spanish capital after a prolific spell at Lyon over four years ago.
Mariano started none of the four games Benzema missed. In fact, he came off the bench just twice; playing a grand total of 15 minutes.
He was Ancelotti’s last resort as Real stumbled to a home draw with newly-promoted Girona.
And even when Real were struggling to break down relegation-threatened and often-hapless Cadiz on Thursday night, Mariano still wasn’t called upon. In all competitions this season, the Fabrica graduate has played 25 minutes of football. 20 of those coming in Spain’s top flight.
Will Wolves reunite Julen Lopetegui with Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz?
But if you thought Mariano would be counting down the seconds until the January window opens – potentially in the hope of emulating Luka Jovic and enjoying a fresh start outside the Bernabeu goldfish bowl – then you may be mistaken.
Mariano has turned down countless opportunities to leave Real Madrid over the years; refusing to back out of a fight he was no chance of winning. Reports suggesting that Wolves could offer the seldom-seen 29-year-old a chance to reunite with Julen Lopetegui at Molineux, then, feel especially intriguing.
Lopetegui and Mariano enjoyed a fine relationship in Madrid. The former played a key role in the latter’s return to the Spanish capital. And the latter was quick to lead the tributes when the former was fired four months into the season.
“I will always be grateful to Julen Lopetegui; one of the people who made it possible for me to return home,” Mariano Diaz wrote on Twitter. “I wish him the best for the future.”
‘The player’s intention is to leave’
But could Wolves succeed where so many others have failed, and convince Mariano that it is in his best interests to give up on his Real Madrid dream?
There are certainly signs that 2023 could finally be the year when Mariano accepts defeat in his attempts to dislodge perhaps the greatest centre-forward on planet earth from his starting spot in Real Madrid’s frontline.
“The player’s intention is to leave as long,” Mariano’s agent tells TMW. “As there is an option that satisfies him. We are trying to find a team that he likes. We’ll see how it ends.”
The chance to work with Lopetegui again – perhaps the first and the last Madrid coach to truly believe in his talents – may be the opportunity Mariano has been waiting for.
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