Aulas: Mariano wasn't the player Florentino wanted
Following Real Madrid's use of the buy-back option to sign the striker, Lyon president Jean Michel Aulas has provided some revelations about the move.
Jean Michel Aulas, president of Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyon, revealed the price that Real Madrid will pay for Mariano Diaz Mejia following the decision from the Spanish side to use their buy-back option. The fee for the player is 30 million euros plus a further 3 million in variables.
Madrid discount for Mariano thanks to buy-back
Based on the agreement made when the young striker moved from the Spanish capital to the French city, Madrid will deduct 35% from that fee. This will result in Madrid paying somewhere between 21.4 million and 23.4 million euros.
Aulas also explained that the player wanted to leave. He said that "when the offer came in from Sevilla we thought it would be negative to keep a player who wanted to leave the squad."
Mariano not the man for Pérez
The president then added: "Mariano had already told me that he wanted to go to Madrid. I called Florentino Pérez who advised me that he did not fit the profile of the player he was looking for. But Mariano insisted that Madrid was where he wanted to go, and then the offer arrived."
"We didn't know that Madrid were going to exercise their right of first refusal," insisted Aulas, as well as stating that the negotiations have still not been concluded.
"Nothing has been done. He will not leave until a replacement has been found," concluded the president.
Clubs in both LaLiga and Ligue 1 have until midnight on August 31 to finalise any transfer business.