Real Madrid's UCL semifinal hero likely to stay at the club beyond current season - Reports
Real Madrid's UCL semifinal hero Joselu is likely to stay at the club beyond the end of the season. The striker, who is on loan at the club from Segunda Division RCD Espanyol, is expected to make his stay permanent according to El Chiringuito TV.
The 34-year-old moved from La Liga side Celta de Vigo to Los Blancos' B team, RM Castilla, in 2009. He shone for the B side, eventually being handed his first team debut in 2011.
Joselu scored almost immediately, nodding in a cross from Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. However, he failed to establish himself as an important player in the first team.
He spent time in the Bundesliga with TSG Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt and Hannover, and also in the Premier League with Stoke City and Newcastle United. He could never establish himself as a proven goalscorer at any of these clubs, and eventually ended up at Espanyol in 2022.
Karim Benzema unexpectedly departed Real Madrid to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad in the eleventh hour of the 2023 summer transfer window. With a 16-goal season in the 2022-23 La Liga campaign, Joselu had impressed Madrid enough for them to bring him in on a season-long loan as a stop-gap replacement.
He surpassed all expectations in his first season back at the club, notching goals at regular intervals and in high-stakes situations. He has bagged 16 goals and three assists in 47 appearances across all competitions.
In the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League semifinal matchup against German giants Bayern Munich, Joselu came on in the 81st minute with his side trailing 1-0.
He netted a brace (88', 90+1') to seal a 4-3 victory on aggregate for the Merengues and secure their position in the UCL final.
Joselu's permanent contract at Real Madrid will not cost the club an extra penny - Reports
According to reports from Diario AS, Joselu's permanent contract at Real Madrid will not cost the club an extra penny.
The Spanish striker's loan deal has a paltry €1.5 million buy option at the end of the season. With the form that he is in, Real Madrid will most likely activate the option in the summer.
He already secured his own transfer fee by securing Real's passage into the Champions League final. They are set to earn a minimum of €15.5 million from the final itself, having already earned €133 million from their 2023-24 UCL campaign.
Joselu has stepped up in important moments for Real Madrid throughout the season, aside from his monumental performance in the UCL semifinal. He scored the winning goal against Real Sociedad (2-1) in La Liga and also netted a brace each in their wins against Getafe (2-0, league) and Union Berlin (3-2, UCL).
Although the 34-year-old might take a backseat after Kylian Mbappe's imminent arrival at the club, he will still be an important squad player for manager Carlo Ancelotti.