Real Madrid Transfer News: Borja Mayoral Discusses Exit Amid Summer Rumours

Real Madrid striker Borja Mayoral has expressed his plans to leave the club at the end of the season amid rumours Los Blancos are looking at Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski and Mauro Icardi of Inter Milan as attacking reinforcements.

Mayoral has barely featured this season and told Gol (via Goal's Jamie Smith) he needs to leave for the sake of his development:

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

"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."

The 21-year-old made the comments after the 2-1 win over Leganes in which he scored the second goal:

Mayoral is a product of Real's academy and has drawn comparisons to club legend Raul, who also came up through the system before establishing himself as the ultimate poacher.

The youngster has a superb scoring record for Real's youth teams and Spain's under-21 side, and his efficiency in front of goal has carried over to the senior game, per Marca in English:

But opportunities have been rare for the local hero at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, with Karim Benzema locked in as the top starter. Ongoing speculation regarding Lewandowski and Icardi doesn't help matters, per Smith.

In many ways, Mayoral's situation is similar to that of Alvaro Morata, who wasted years of his development on the Real bench before moving to Juventus in 2014. He finally blossomed as a forward in Italy, leading to his return to Madrid and eventual big-money sale to Chelsea.

Morata was always known as a workhorse, however, the type of striker who can fit in at a club like Juventus. Mayoral's nose for goal makes him an entirely different type of forward, one every top club could use if he continues his development.

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Karim Benzema's shooting boots have been missing since the start of last season, and Los Blancos should seek an upgrade in the summer. Mayoral is too young and talented to be written off completely, however, and Real should be careful moving forward.

A sale with a buy-back clause―like the deal that sent Morata to Juventus―could be an ideal solution. There will be plenty of clubs eager to work with Mayoral and give him every opportunity to shine, whether it's in Spain or elsewhere. If he does indeed become the next Raul, Real could reap the benefits at some point down the line.