There could be a linkup few saw coming at Real Madrid this summer after a decision was made over a former Newcastle United striker.
Former Newcastle United striker Joselu could be partnering Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid next season as they close in on a permanent move for the Spain international.
The 34-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable season with the La Liga giants after initially joining them on a season-long loan deal last summer. After getting off the mark in his fourth appearance with a goal in a 2-1 home win against Getafe, Joselu went on to net 17 goals and provide three assists in 49 appearances in all competitions. He played a part in helping Real reclaim the La Liga title and made a late substitute appearance in Saturday’s Champions League Final win against Borussia Dortmund as the former Magpies striker brought down the curtain on his loan spell in fine fashion.
As it stands, Joselu will return to parent club Espanyol this summer but The Athletic have now reported the striker will complete a £1m permanent switch to the Bernabeu over the coming weeks. The deal is already agreed but the report has revealed Real are waiting to confirm the move as Espanyol continue to fight for return to La Liga after suffering relegation into the second tier of Spanish football last season.
Joselu’s success at Real Madrid is all a far cry from the struggles he endured during a challenging time at Newcastle earlier in his career. After joining the Magpies in a £5m deal from Stoke City in August 2017, the striker struggled to make a genuine impact at St James Park and scored just seven goals in 52 appearances before heading back to Spain by making a £1.7m move to Alaves in 2019. Few could have seen his success at Real Madrid coming – but Magpies legend Alan Shearer believes the La Liga giants are reaping the benefits of a gamble they took on the striker.
Speaking after Joselu scored twice in a dramatic Champions League semi-final win against Bayern Munich, Shearer told The Athletic: “I had plenty of opportunities to see Joselu during his two years at Newcastle. It wasn’t easy playing up front for my old club at that point — they weren’t producing anywhere near as many chances as the likes of Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak get these days. Still, seven goals from 52 games underlines the fact that Joselu didn’t make much of an impact.
“But I don’t want to be disrespectful — he’s just scored two goals for maybe the biggest club in the world to get them to the Champions League final. He might score the winner in the final. He’s obviously not top, top quality, but there’s something in there that they thought, ‘He’ll do, we’ll take a gamble on him’. And centre-forward play itself is all about gambling.”
Joselu is expected to feature for Spain in this summer’s Euro 2024 Finals after being named in their preliminary squad alongside former Magpies team-mates Mikel Merino and Ayoze Perez.
