Real Madrid might not sell Luka Jovic, but there’s nothing wrong with seeing what’s out there.
Luka Jovic joined Real Madrid last season after the team spent 60 million euros to sign the Bundesliga’s breakout striker. They signed him with the intention of grooming him to be their future No. 9, replacing Karim Benzema in a few years. Jovic is more of a goal-scorer than Benzema and a traditional No. 9, but alongside Ante Rebic and Sebastian Haller, he showed at Eintracht Frankfurt that he can create for others.
The 2019-2020 season, unfortunately, has not gone well for the Serbian international. He’s barely played, since Real have relied on their club legend Benzema, whose chance creation and goal-scoring are difficult to match. But even in cameo appearances off the bench, Jovic has flashed his talent, with backheel assists and killer volleys.
That said, Jovic has run into some trouble off the pitch, meaning Real Madrid are more inclined to think about moving on from Jovic. And since they have eyes on Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, who are better and younger players than Jovic, they’d have to make way for them anyway.
MARCA’s Jose Felix Diaz reports that Los Blancos are now listening to transfer offers for the 22-year-old striker, with many of the offers expected to come from Serie A clubs like AC and Inter Milan. The former seems like an especially logical option for Jovic, given their ambitions under new manager Ralf Rangnick, who saw Jovic up close in the Bundesliga while managing RB Leipzig. Furthermore, Milan have Jovic’s old friend Rebic from Eintracht.
But while Real are listening to what’s out there for Jovic, it doesn’t guarantee he’ll be sold. Real had shown a lot of faith in Jovic before, and they know his level of talent. Sure, Zinedine Zidane hasn’t been playing Jovic much, but he’s the one who wanted the striker in the first place. Furthermore, he’s always known for playing things safe and taking it slow with young players. He puts the players first.
Jovic could still be a great player for Los Blancos, but Real can sign other great players at the striker position. While they would have to accept less than 60 million euros this summer for Jovic, if they can get something close enough to that sum, they could actually be getting more value due to the decrease in prices this summer. And then they could use that money to sign someone who will help their squad more in the short-term before making a play for a striker.
Again, there’s no guarantee he’ll be sold. Real probably won’t find that offer they are looking for. But if they do, don’t be surprised if they take it. In this market, all options are available when it comes to sales of players who don’t start.