Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid re-sign Joselu on loan from Espanyol
After president Florentino Perez had unofficially confirmed the return of Joselu, Real Madrid have officially announced the loan signing of the 33-year-old striker from RCD Espanyol.
“Real Madrid CF and RCD Espanyol de Barcelona have agreed on the loan of the player Joselu, who will be linked to the club for the next season, with a purchase option at the end of it,” the official statement from the Merengues read.
As confirmed in the statement, Joselu arrives at the Santiago Bernabeu on a season-long loan deal, with Real Madrid understood to have paid a loan fee of €500,000.
As for the permanent purchase option, it is believed to be non-mandatory and worth around €1.5 million.
The Spanish international, who won the UEFA Nations League last night by defeating Croatia, will be presented as a Real Madrid player tomorrow in front of the media at the club facilities at around 11 am (CET).
Joselu was one of the leading goalscorers in La Liga last night, finishing with 16 strikes, with only Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema outscoring him in the competition. However, his goals were not enough to help Espanyol survive relegation from the Spanish top flight.
Having lost Benzema, Real Madrid were in need of a top-quality striker this summer. Whether Joselu will be enough to fill the void left by the Frenchman’s departure or if they opt to sign another centre-forward remains to be seen.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid rising star suffered against Atletico due to veteran forward’s absence, says Simeone
Real Madrid’s 3-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid was not the first time were in trouble this season. In fact, the Merengues have gone behind early in almost every league game so far.
However, the difference on Sunday night was that they never really mounted a comeback. More importantly, Jude Bellingham did not come good, for the first time.
Simeone unravels the mystery
A jubilant Diego Simeone spoke to the media after his side downed Real Madrid by three goals to one and spoke about a plethora of topics.
Interestingly, he commented specifically on why Bellingham did not have an impact at Civitas Metropolitano, citing the absence of Joselu as a key factor.
“No, the spaces were reduced and I think that Joselu’s lack of presence left him with fewer chances to get there, when he takes advantage of Joselu’s aerial play. We controlled him better, he’s extraordinary,” he said, as quoted by AS.
He even called out the refereeing on the night and insisted that the Real Madrid star-boy should have seen red for his late tackle on Angel Correa, saying:
“It looked like a sending-off to me live, it was a hard leg up, with Angelito hitting the ball.”
Ironically, he defended his defender Jose Maria Gimenez for an equally threatening tackle on the night.
“A bad foul, it’s a yellow card because it goes sideways. Bellingham goes from the front and I think it’s a bit more,” he stated paradoxically.
No time to lament
The game at Civitas Metropolitano may not have gone Real Madrid’s way. Yet, it is good for the Merengues to taste defeat early and see the gaping holes in their dynamic.
Carlo Ancelotti admitted in his press conference that he bore the lion’s share of the fault for Sunday’s loss and that he would have done things differently if given the chance.
“Maybe I could have done it better. It’s pretty clear. When the team doesn’t do what it has to do, it’s my responsibility,” he stated.
Nevertheless, Los Blancos have a hectic schedule ahead with two games in the next five days and a UCL fixture against Napoli next week. With Vinicius Jr back, one hopes they find their mojo once again.
