Why Tottenham should go all out to sign Mariano Diaz in January
Back in July, Spanish newspaper AS (h/t Independent) had claimed that Tottenham were interested in signing Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz as a replacement for Fernando Llorente. However, a deal never materialised and the Spaniard stayed put at Real Madrid.
Mariano Diaz, 26, re-joined Real Madrid from Lyon in 2018 but managed just 19 appearances for Los Blancos last season, scoring four goals.
Surprisingly, the forward has not played a single minute for Real this campaign under Zinedine Zidane. In fact, the Spaniard has hardly even been called up to the bench other than the game against Mallorca.
With Mariano completely out of favour under Zidane, Tottenham would be wise to rekindle their interest in the 26-year-old forward during the January transfer window.
Given Harry Kane’s first-choice status at Tottenham, it is going to be hard for any striker to arrive at the club and straightaway topple him. Kane is one of the best strikers across Europe but unfortunately, he has suffered from injuries over the last few seasons.
Tottenham clearly lack depth in the No.9 slot following the departure of Llorente. Pochettino had to use Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min through the middle at times last season, which is not healthy as the Argentine also lacks reliable depth in the wide areas too. Thus, it is vital for Spurs to invest in a back-up striker for Kane in January.
In that regard, signing Mariano Diaz would make sense. The 26-year-old hasn’t managed to play much since returning to Real but previously looked like a top forward during his spell with Lyon. Thus, it’s easy to imagine why he could be a useful signing for this struggling Spurs side.
Pochettino has been overly reliant on Kane and Son for goals this season, with Christian Eriksen yet to hit top form, while the likes of Lucas Moura and Dele Alli have been inconsistent.
Mariano could, therefore, be an important addition to Tottenham, as he’ll not only bring goals but also provide cover and competition for Kane.
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Mariano’s intelligent movement, clinical finishing as well as tendency to run at defenders should add another dimension to Spurs attack. In the video below, one can see the ex-Lyon ace’s finishing ability and smart movement in and around the box.
Verdict
All in all, Tottenham should go all out to land Mariano in January. The 26-year-old could prove a viable long-term investment for the Lilywhites.