Real Madrid yesterday presented Valdebebas Joselu, the 33-year-old former youth striker who has been loaned by Espanyol for a season, with an option to buy. The Galician footballer is the fourth addition of the whites this summer, after those of Fran García, Brahim Díaz and Jude Bellingham.
Joselu will wear number 14, which indicates that Karim Benzema’s nine is still available, an indication that Real Madrid continue to explore the possibility of replacing the last Ballon d’Or with a killer of more reputation than Joselu. Harry Kane is the most desired, but his signing does not seem at all simple due to the high price that Tottenham is asking for him, around 130 million euros.
In his speech of welcome to Joselu, Florentino Pérez highlighted the footballer’s career as one of the great goalscorers who came out of the Madrid academy, La Fábrica. “You have scored 190 goals as a professional in three major leagues (Premier, Bundesliga and La Liga), you are the top scorer in the history of Alabès and the last national Zarra, with the 16 goals scored at Espanyol”, he recalled the president of the white club.
Joselu Mato responded with a very short speech that read: “I have dreamed of this moment since the day I left. I’m very excited. Wearing this shield on the chest is the greatest honor a person can experience. Hala Madrid”.
In his press conference, which he approached very calmly, the Galician striker, who left Real Madrid in 2012, assured that, “asking for forgiveness from my wife and my children, today is one of the happiest days of my life”. Regarding not wearing the new one, he did not attach much importance to it: “I wore the 9 in Castilla many years ago. The number here is secondary. I am proud to wear any number because this is the best club in the world and the best players are here,” he pointed out.
Joselu made a profession of faith: “This is the club of my life. I have never hidden the fact that I am a Real Madrid fan and throughout my career I have carried the values ??that have been taught to me here. In life you have to be as natural as possible”, he said.
Joselu was also reminded that last year he had been in Paris cheering on Madrid in the Champions League final: “I was there supporting a relative” (he is Carvajal’s brother-in-law, he is married to the full-back’s sister from Leganés). Regarding whether he is worried about Madrid signing a starting striker, Joselu assured that “it is not up to me to say whether more people should come or not. I do not come to replace anyone, but to put my grain of sand, to enjoy. Benzema is one of the best. We all know his level, but I come to do a different kind of work. I have not spoken to the manager, but I know the player I am and I will adapt to what is asked of me. Now I have to assimilate what has happened and I need a few days of vacation”, he said.
Joselu was optimistic: “I will give my best and what a striker always wants is to score goals. We have the squad for other teammates to help and I’ve scored goals throughout my career and I think it will continue to be that way.”
