In Mayor’s hands
The situation
Borja Mayoral (25 years old) was clear about his goal for this season. The one from Parla entered this course in the last year of his contract and his wish was none other than to establish himself as a replacement for Benzema at Real Madrid. Of course, he did not want to keep his future in the air throughout the summer market. After four seasons with two double transfers (Levante and Rome, with the final six months in Getafe), his intention was to clarify his horizon as soon as possible and he has achieved his goal: he will be the ‘9’ alternative to Karim for Ancelotti in the 2022-23 campaign. The idea of the white team goes hand in hand with the intentions of our protagonist. That is to say, having the battering ram as a second striker, with Hazard as a punctual route at certain times. Jovic has one foot out (his departure to Fiorentina is about to become official) and Mariano does not fit into the Reggiolo coach’s plans. In this way, Mayoral will be the first option when Benzema needs a break in a season where rotations will gain prominence due to the World Cup in Qatar, which will add kilometers to the legs of footballers in winter (it starts in November). Carletto was already struck by his evolution when he was at Roma and took the ownership from Dzeko (in the 2020-21 academic year he scored 17 goals and distributed 7 assists) and did not take his eyes off him last year, where he ended up being key in Getafe in the search for salvation.
Mariano, the other face
The situation experienced by Mariano (28) is antagonistic. The Hispanic-Dominican striker knows that he does not fit into Ancelotti’s plans , reinforcing Mayoral position in the squad, for this season and Madrid has left the door open for him. Fenerbahçe is betting heavily on him and offers him €5 million net per year, between a fixed salary and bonuses. So the ball is in the player’s court. His agent, David Aranda, recently stated that “the player’s intention is to leave, as in the last three years, as long as there is an option that satisfies him.” He remains to be seen if Fener meets the requirements of the striker. Carletto will respect his decision if he chooses to complete his contract(expires in 2023), but he has made it clear that the plans for the forward are different: Benzema, Mayoral and, occasionally, Hazard.