'I need to be playing' - Mayoral plans to leave Real Madrid

Jamie Smith

'I need to be playing' - Mayoral plans to leave Real Madrid image

Borja Mayoral says he will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season after failing to break into the first team at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Mayoral struck his second La Liga goal of the season as a much-changed Madrid warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich with a 2-1 win over Leganes.

Despite Karim Benzema having a very poor season - he has scored only five times in the league - and Alvaro Morata's sale to Chelsea, Mayoral has been restricted to three La Liga starts.

Madrid have been linked with moves for Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski and Inter captain Mauro Icardi, which could push Mayoral further down the pecking order, and the 21-year-old is ready to move on.

"I'm sure I'll have to leave at the end of the season to find regular playing time somewhere else," Mayoral said to Gol.

"At the end of the day, it's been two years now for me without getting many minutes and I think I need them, I'm young and I need to be playing.

"There are a few games left and I don't know what will happen."

Mayoral was at least happy to take advantage of his rare opportunity in the starting line-up under Zinedine Zidane by repaying his coach with a goal.

He added: “I’m very happy because I work every day to have opportunities like this and you never know when it’s going to happen.

“You have to be prepared and give everything in every session. The players always has to be on top form for the coach.”

Jamie Smith