Joselu to Real Madrid might just be a masterstroke
As Relevo say there's interest, hear us out on this one...
Okay. If you’ve got this far and I haven’t lost you at the title, I want to applaud you for your bravery in joining me on believing that signing Joselu is EXACTLY what Real Madrid ought to be doing this summer.
Relevo claim that Real Madrid have a serious interest in the Espanyol forward as the Pericos face the very real prospect of relegation this summer.
Here is why it makes perfect sense.
This summer is not the summer to replace Benzema
Karim Benzema has still got it. At 35 he isn’t the solution long-term but Real Madrid know that he is still their top goalscorer with 29 goals in 40 games. Maybe that’s not going to win him another Ballon d’Or, but it’s certainly not bad.
If we look at his stats, FutMob’s match rating system actually gives him the highest rating of any Madridista this season. Injuries have hit this season, but as his 40 appearances show, he’s still in good shape. Being the only number nine for 60 game-campaigns was never going to be sustainable at his age, but there’s clearly no need to unceremoniously ship him out.
Real Madrid have other priorities for record-breaking signings. If Benzema is on his way to the home for the elderly, Luka Modrić is in intensive care and with his loved ones huddled around him. If Real Madrid can afford to break the bank this summer, something they’ve been reluctant to do in recent years, it should be on building the future of their midfield.
Joselu would be an addition that would allow them to focus their budget elsewhere and spend wisely to provide that back-up option with quality at low-cost.
He fits Real Madrid’s style for plan B
Part of Real Madrid’s problem is that there has been no alternative to Benzema. Carlo Ancelotti hasn’t been able to rotate or switch things up and when plan A doesn’t work, the Italian coach has found himself between a rock and a hard place with little depth to help get himself out of the trap.
The other issue is that no-one offers an option to change the game plan. Benzema is strong in the air, but more getting onto the end of chances than holding up long balls forward. That’s what Joselu does well for Espanyol. Mariano Díaz is it somewhat, but in bitesize pieces and with a lack of quality.
Only Lucas Ocampos (bizarrely) has a higher aerial duel success rate of all LaLiga forwards at 54.36%, and he ranks fifth for aerial duels per 90 at a whopping 8.98. If Real Madrid are going to bomb the box with crosses, they’ll need someone there to get on the end of it. Joselu is that man.
If you can’t stop them, sign them
Beyond how good Joselu could be, at least Real Madrid won’t have to face Joselu next season. He has scored 8 goals and recorded 1 assist in 10 games against Los Blancos, including a run of scoring in 5 of his last 6 games against the club, dating back to 2020.
The target man is married to the sister of Dani Carvajal’s wife, and has more Real Madrid links. In two appearances for Real Madrid, playing only 18 minutes against Almería in LaLiga and Ponferradina in the Copa del Rey in 2011, he scored once and recorded an assist.
He also played 73 times for Castilla, scoring 40 goals, including 4 goals against Mirandés across two play-off final games in the race for promotion to Segunda in 2012. He knows Real Madrid, and he knows what it takes to score goals. What could go wrong?