Mayoral ticks all the boxes for Real Madrid as Benzema back-up
Borja Mayoral has scored 14 times for Roma this season and the Serie A side want to exercise a purchase option but Zinedine Zidane remains an admirer.
Borja Mayoral has become a firm fan favourite at AS Roma and the on-loan Real Madrid striker was on target again at the weekend with a well-taken goal to ensure another three points for Paulo Fonseca’s side in a 1-0 win over Bologna. Mayoral’s goal was enough to keep Roma in the hunt for Champions League football next season and also his 14th of the season, leaving him one short of his previous best return in a single campaign (for Real Madrid Castilla in 2015-16) and setting the forward on course for his best season in front of goal.
Mayoral was loaned to Roma on a two-year deal last summer despite the preference of Zinedine Zidane to retain the 24-year-old as back-up for Karim Benzema. The subsequent departure of Luka Jovic on a loan to his former club Eintracht Frankfurt only served to emphasize Mayoral’s potential usefulness in Madrid and the forward has certainly not disappointed his current employers with 14 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions this season, with seven assists to his name. In the Europa League, Mayoral has been particularly effective, finding the net seven times in total and scoring twice against Shakhtar in the last 16 as Roma have positioned themselves as serious candidates to lift the title.
Mayoral realizing his potential at Roma
After making his senior Madrid debut in 2015, Mayoral has been honing his craft in loan spells at Wolfsburg, Levante and now Roma, where he has come of age and is delivering on the promise that made him a prolific scorer for Madrid’s youth sides and the joint record-holder for the most goals scored in UEFA Youth League history.
For Roma he has been playing an important role this season and interchanges starts with Edin Dzeko. Mayoral’s loan deal includes two purchase options, one that Roma can exercise at the end of this season and another next summer. Roma are seriously considering making his loan permanent for €15 million at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, and will have the option to buy again in 2022 for €20m.
In the meantime, it remains to be seen if Zidane will finally get his wish to have Mayoral under his charge again with the Frenchman a keen admirer of his ability to score and assist.
With the European Championship looming and Mayoral on the cusp of a call-up to Luis Enrique’s squad on this form, his value may rise even further before the start of next season.