Real Madrid considering hijacking Mariano Diaz's move to Sevilla

Real Madrid are giving serious consideration to re-signing Mariano Diaz despite Sevilla having reached an agreement with Lyon for the transfer of the striker, Goal can confirm.

It has been a quiet window on the attacking front this summer for the Liga giants, with only Vinicius Junior brought in following Cristiano Ronaldo's exit thus far.

Fans have called for further reinforcements since the Portuguese opted to swap the Santiago Bernabeu for Juventus and Los Blancos are now weighing up the merits of bringing Mariano back to the club.

One major pro to recalling the 25-year-old is a clause in Madrid's agreement with Lyon that entitles Julen Lopetegui's side to 35 per cent of any future sales of the player. 

As such, with the striker valued at €35 million (£31m/£41m) Real would only have to pay around €23m (£20m/$26m) to re-sign their former charge, a comparative steal in the current market given the Spanish-born Dominican's return of 21 goals for the Ligue 1 side last season.

Another advantage, aside from his relatively young age, is Mariano's previous stint at the club, having spent six years in the Spanish capital and leaving a good impression on former boss Zinedine Zidane.

As mentioned, Sevilla had reached an agreement with Lyon for Mariano's transfer at the request of head coach Pablo Machin, who is a big admirer of the attacker, but with Madrid having 48 hours to reach a verdict the Rojiblancos are now pessimistic that they will land their top target.

In the face of the recent developments, Sevilla have turned their attention to Girona attacking midfielder Portu, who has worked with Machin in the past.

Portu's arrival would bolster the second line of attack behind any other potential centre-forward signings, or simply play provider to Wissam Ben Yedder, who would be likely to remain in Seville despite having one foot out of the door should Mariano have arrived.

Girona are likely to accept less than Portu's €20m (£18m/$23m) release clause and have also been linked with a move for Sporting's Seydou Doumbia should the 26-year-old leave for the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.