Real Madrid have looked for an exit for Mariano Diaz for some time, and with just over six months left on his contract, perhaps they may find a home for the outcast striker.
Mariano has been surplus to requirements for several seasons at Los Blancos, yet with a contract far higher than his current market value, the 29-year-old has elected to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu.
With his contract expiring next summer, there is significantly less money on the line for Mariano. It might lead to an exit this January.
According to MD, Lazio are interested in taking him to Rome this winter, but only on the condition that he leaves Real Madrid without a fee. The other club looking at a potential deal are Espanyol, who sold Raul de Tomas to Rayo Vallecano in September.
Mariano has five appearances to his name this season, but those combine for a total of just 25 minutes. Over the course of the last three seasons, he has seen barely any minutes under Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, as trust in him waned. If a club could extract the best out of him, then Mariano has the goalscoring touch. Yet after so long without regular football, it is tricky to know how he would respond to the demands of it again.