Former Premier League star Joselu is poised to make a remarkable return to Real Madrid, the team he departed from 11 years ago.
It has been reported that Joselu has reached an agreement on personal terms with Los Blancos, and the final details of the deal are currently being worked out.
The 33-year-old Spanish forward is expected to play Champions League football next season for the Real Madrid senior team, as he was unable to find a place in the team previously.
Joselu has revitalized his career in Spain, scoring 52 goals in the last four seasons after departing from Newcastle in 2019.
After being released by Alaves due to relegation last season, the Spaniard joined Espanyol where he managed to score 17 goals in 37 appearances during the 2022-23 season.
Joselu’s outstanding performance at the club level led to his debut for the Spanish national team in March of this year, where he scored two goals after coming off the bench.
Reports suggest that the 33-year-old footballer has caught the attention of his former club, Real Madrid after he left the club in 2012 to join Bundesliga side Hoffenheim.
Joselu’s return to Madrid was prompted as Carlo Ancelotti is currently seeking a replacement for Karim Benzema, who has recently transferred to the Saudi Arabian team Al-Ittihad.
And according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, the 14-time European champions are currently in the process of finalizing a deal with Joselu after agreeing on personal terms last week.
Romano stated that the deal will take place under favorable conditions for Real Madrid.
Numerous reports are also indicating that the former Stoke City forward will be joining Los Blancos on loan, which means that a temporary agreement is likely to be made.
It would be intriguing to witness whether the 33-year-old Spanish international forward can secure a comeback to Santiago Bernabeu during the upcoming summer.
Who is Joselu?
José Luis Mato Sanmartín known as Joselu is a proficient Spanish football player who currently plays as a striker for the La Liga side Espanyol and Spain national team.
Joselu’s Club Career
Joselu started his career with Celta de Vigo and was later acquired by Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.
He proved to be a highly productive goalscorer for their B-team, having scored an impressive aggregate of 40 goals in 72 appearances.
He played for the first team only twice and scored in both matches. However, he was unable to integrate well with the team and was subsequently sold to Bundesliga side 1899 Hoffenheim in August 2012.
In 2013-14, the Spaniard was loaned out to Eintracht Frankfurt.
In June 2014, Joselu played for Hannover 96 before moving to the Premier League to play for Stoke City a year later for a transfer fee of £5.75 million.
He spent two seasons at Newcastle United after moving there in 2017 for a transfer fee of £5 million.
Joselu scored seven goals in 52 appearances during his time at Newcastle while playing under Rafa Benitez.
After falling out of favor at Tyneside, he departed from the club and joined Alavés for an undisclosed amount.
He joined Espanyol in 2022 and had an impressive performance in La Liga last season, scoring a total of 16 goals.
His International Debut
Joselu had the honor of representing Spain at the under-19, under-20, and under-21 levels.
However, he did not receive a call-up to the senior squad until he was almost 33 years old.
Joselu was called up to the Spain national team on March 17, 2023, for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Norway and Scotland.
On March 25th, he made his debut for Spain by coming off the bench against Norway.
He became the oldest player to debut for Spain since 2006.
He stunned the world by scoring two goals in just two minutes, which helped Spain secure a 3-0 victory.
Joselu’s style of play
Joselu is a striker who has received praise from his former manager Mark Hughes for his technical abilities as a forward.
He possesses excellent technical skills and displays remarkable abilities, and his movements are also quite impressive.
From a technical standpoint, one can evaluate Joselu to be quite good at positioning his body to take advantage of opportunities.
Do you think Joselu has the potential to fill in for Benzema at Real Madrid? Please, share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
