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Real Madrid transfer news: Lyon confirm they want to sign Mariano Diaz
LYON president Jean Michel Aulas has confirmed the club want to sign Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz.
Mariano Diaz wants to leave Real Madrid
Diaz, 23, has had his path to the Real first team blocked by Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.
He played eight La Liga games in Real’s title win last season but wants out to get more first-team opportunities.
Spanish newspaper Marca claim Diaz rang president Florentino Perez on Friday to try to manoeuvre himself a way out the club.
And it appears Lyon is his most likely destination after their president Aulas spoke out on a possible deal.
He told l’Equipe: “We are closing in on a transfer.
Lyon want to sign Mariano Diaz from Real Madrid
“If we can come up with the resources to make it happen then Mariano is our priority.
“He does have other more economically appealing options.
“However, we know from [Zinedine] Zidane and [Karim] Benzema that he is a player with a lot of quality.”
If Diaz does walk out it’ll leave Real in a potentially precarious position with their strikers.
While Ronaldo is their number one goal-getter, the Portuguese superstar has made it clear he wants to quit the club.
Benzema is set to stay but another of the club’s back-ups - Alvaro Morata - is drawing ever closer to the exit door.
The Spaniard is likely to leave the club within the next two weeks to join Manchester United.