Real Madrid not prepared to let Mariano leave for free
Madrid are reluctant to let the player leave as a free agent. Diario AS understands that the club would want some kind of transfer fee...
Mariano has taken the first step to leave Real Madrid. As Diario AS has reported, the player has made the decision to move on but it will be the club who decides under what criteria. In the club’s back offices, there are different opinions on how to go about Mariano’s departure. Club source tell us that at the moment, the plan is to work towards a transfer rather than tearing up the player’s contract and allowing him to leave for zero cost.
Leaving on a free deal is how Mariano would like to bring his working relationship with Madrid to an end. That would expand his options and not restrict him as much in his search for a new club. But Madrid see it very differently. They believe that during past seasons, the wrong kind of messages have been sent out to the market. The club did everything it could to send Mariano out on loan - notably to Benfica in 2020 and Rayo in 2021. In the case of Rayo, Madrid were even open to taking on the player’s wages in full as he would return to Valdebebas still under contract. At that time, a loan deal could have been seen as an investment for the future - if the player enjoyed a productive year on loan, it would be easier to get a good deal for both parties at a later date.
Mariano’s salary
In one sense, letting him go now for free would be a relief in that the club would get a player with a high salary off the wages bill. Mariano earns around €9.5 million euros gross per year - plus bonuses for trophies which he has played little part in. Since he returned to Madrid in 2018, he has barely played 1,755 minutes in four years. But rescinding his contract would also effectively mean writing off the €33 million euro fee which he cost when they signed him from Olympique Lyon.
Madrid are aware of the difficulties that any interested LaLiga clubs might have in trying to sign Mariano. The player would prefer to stay in Spain if possible but most Spanish clubs would not be able to meet his salary. However, their has been an upturn in market activity as we aprroach deadline day. There is more money coming in from abroad with a number of big transfers going through - Isak, Estupiñán and other possible transfer including the likes of Raúl de Tomás and Sadiq... For the moment, Madrid are in no hurry to give in to Mariano’s request and rescind his contract - at least until it is clear that they cannot obtain any type of benefit for the player.
That’s why formulas similar to the one used with Luka Jovic are being put on the table, with Madrid keeping a percentage of a future sale. Mariano turned 29 on 1 August and who knows? a decent season in 2022-23 could boost his market value again. Mariano’s plan is to leave before the market closes and Madrid agree, but not at any cost.