Lyon President Claims Florentino Perez Told Him Mariano Was 'Not What Real Madrid Were Looking for'

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez told Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas that his new signing, Mariano Diaz, was 'not what he was looking for'. According

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez told Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas that his new signing, Mariano Diaz, was 'not what he was looking for'. 

According to AS, Aulas explained that his club's number nine had asked to leave with just days remaining of the transfer window after an offer from Sevilla arrived. 

Gualter Fatia/GettyImages

However, the player wanted a return to Madrid instead. Upon calling Los Blancos chief Perez and signalling Mariano's intentions, the Real Madrid president replied that the one-cap Dominican Republic forward did not fit the player profile that he was looking for. 

The player insisted that it was his desire to return to the Santiago Bernabeu, however, and after Aulas told Perez of Mariano's firm intentions, the offer came from the Spanish capital. 

Aulas said: "Before, Mariano had already told me he wanted to go to Madrid, I called Florentino Perez and he told me that it was not the player profile he was looking for, but Mariano insisted that he wanted to go to Madrid and then the offer came."

Aulas also revealed that the Spanish giants paid a fee totalling €33m, but 35% was deducted as a result of Los Blancos buy-back clause after selling Mariano to France just last summer. 

Due to the clause, Madrid only paid around €20m to bring their former player back to the Santiago Bernabeu to provide competition for Karim Benzema. 

Lyon are yet to secure a replacement for Mariano with little time left before Friday's deadline. 

Ian MacNicol/GettyImages

However, they have declared their interest in Celtic's French striker Moussa Dembele with Aulas confirming his interest in the player who is said to be interested in a move to Lyon. 

The Scottish giants boss, Brendan Rodgers, also confirmed that there had been an approach for his star striker. 

Aulas has been coy on a move, saying: “He’s an option, though we have others."