Real Madrid lacks depth at this point in the season, especially in the forward areas of the pitch. They saw Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio leave at the end of last season when their respective contracts expired. Los Blancos didn’t replace them properly but that didn’t stop them from winning consistently.
Real Madrid have won all five of their La Liga games this season. And the players deserve a lot of credit for stepping up to the plate, especially with so many key players injured.
With Benzema’s departure, Vinicius Junior was considered the most reliable source of goals and moved into a more important role in the 4-4-2 formation. But the Brazilian picked up an injury against Celta Vigo that set him out of action for a few weeks.
In his absence, one person who shines is Joselu. The Spaniard was brought in this summer on a season-long loan from Espanyol and has already proven his worth.
Real Madrid are ready to sign the Spanish international permanently
Many Real Madrid fans wrote to Joselu before his arrival. After all, he is 33 years old and not the big name player you would expect to replace a legend like Benzema.
Joselu proved his doubters wrong. Since Vinicius was injured and he was brought on as a first-half substitute against Celta Vigo, the Spaniard has scored 2 goals and provided an assist in 3 appearances.
And as reported by Defense Central (through The Hard Tackle), Joselu has already convinced Real Madrid to sign him on a permanent basis next summer. Los Blancos are ready to trigger the “option to buy” clause.
There is a lot of time between now and the 2024 summer transfer window, and a lot can change. But if Joselu can continue to do this, it makes sense to sign him permanently.
Joselu is a late bloomer at 33 years old but he is in the shape of his life right now. He could be a good squad option to stick with as long as Real Madrid sign a world-class striker to replace Benzema in the long term.