Tottenham Hotspur were reportedly interested in signing Mariano Diaz during the last summer window.
It appears that, like the last two summer transfer windows, one of Mauricio Pochettino’s priorities for the coming months is likely to be getting a new striker in with Fernando Llorente’s first year at Tottenham proving to be a real disappointment.
The Spaniard has struggled for game-time, but has not been overly impressive when he has been given a chance and The Telegraph recently suggested that he could be allowed to leave Spurs in the summer.
Finding Harry Kane’s ideal understudy has proved to be a conundrum, and it would perhaps be little surprise if they try another option for next season. And perhaps the perfect target could be a player that Pochettino had his eye on last summer, according to reports.
While Mariano barely got a chance for Madrid’s first-team, he was superb for Castilla, scoring 27 goals in 33 games in his final campaign with their B side.
He would ultimately move to Lyon and has continued his fantastic form in Ligue 1. He has scored 18 goals in 33 top flight games, and 21 goals in all competitions. It is the kind of form that should be tempting Pochettino to have another look at him when the upcoming window opens.
The 24-year-old appears to have the potential to be a serious talent and could be the ideal teammate for Kane if he is able to replicate anything like his form from this season following a switch to Spurs.
There is, of course, the potential for Mariano to end up struggling just as Llorente and Vincent Janssen have, but it must not be forgotten that Mariano’s tally of league goals for his first year in France matches Llorente’s best ever return in a single season, so perhaps he could be the man to finally solve the conundrum.
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