Julen Lopetegui is close to replacing Bruno Lage at Wolves, and he is determined to bring Mariano Diaz with him to Molineux – who Marcelo Bielsa wanted at Leeds.
That is according to AS in Spain, who believe the Spaniard has asked Wolves to sign the £33m man in January as he prepares to take over in the Midlands.
Lopetegui wants Mariano Diaz at Wolves
Well, this should be quite a straightforward request for Wolves to meet.
AS believe Diaz is surplus to requirements at Real Madrid, and with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Spanish giants will surely jump at the chance to recoup some cash in January.
The 29-year-old has played just nine minutes of football in La Liga this season under Carlo Ancelotti, as he competes with Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema for the No.9 role.
It was Lopetegui who brought the Dominican Republic international to Real Madrid during his brief time in charge of Los Blancos back in 2018, signing the forward in a £33m deal from Lyon.
Sadly, Diaz could only make eight appearances under the 56-year-old, scoring one goal, before he was sacked.
Leeds could look silly if Mariano Diaz succeeds at Wolves
Back in January, it was said that Bielsa asked Leeds to sign Diaz.
It was 90min who claimed that the Argentine urged those at Elland Road to buy the striker, although a move failed to materialise and the 67-year-old was replaced by Jesse Marsch shortly after.
Now, with Leeds still yet to find a reliable frontman, they would look rather foolish if Diaz joins a Premier League rival and goes on to thrive in England’s top-flight.
It has been a tough time for the Real Madrid No.24 in recent years, although he definitely has the talent to succeed at Wolves.
When writing an analysis of Diaz, The Coaches’ Voice discovered that he likes to keep his shots low and hard, ensuring the ball bounces just before reaching the goalkeeper – interestingly, they likened his technique to that of Harry Kane and Jermain Defoe.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as Diaz looks set to arrive at Wolves if Lopetegui is hired.
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