Wolves manager Lopetgui hoping to use Real Madrid connections in January

Published on: 06 November 2022

As seems to be the case with Unai Emery at Aston Villa, new Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui is keen to use his knowledge and connections in La Liga in order to strengthen his team in the winter transfer window.

According to Fichajes.net, Lopetegui is keen on bringing one of his former players at Real Madrid to the side. The Basque briefly crossed paths with forward Mariano Diaz for four months in 2018 while at Los Blancos.

Now he wants to bring the former Lyon striker to the Midlands. Out of contract next summer, Real Madrid would likely let Mariano go on a free and for some time have been trying to find an exit for him. Mariano had been linked with Sevilla while Lopetegui was there but the striker has been reluctant to give up his life and wages in Madrid.

Mariano scored 18 goals in 35 Ligue 1 appearances back in 2017-18, persuading Real Madrid to buy him back for €25m that summer. However in the four years since, Mariano has been a non-factor, scoring 12 goals in just 77 appearances. Most of those outings were substitutions at the end of the game and this season he has been on the pitch four times, but for a total of 14 minutes.

If Wolves and Lopetegui could rediscover the Mariano of Lyon, he would be an excellent, low-cost signing. There is an inherent risk with signing a player who has been out of regular action for four seasons though, and a very real danger they might not see that version of the 29-year-old.

Source: m.allfootballapp.com

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