Real Madrid will only loan developing forward in 2020-2021 if he wants to go
Real Madrid have a logjam of strikers behind Karim Benzema, and not everyone will be able to get the few minutes left behind.
Last season, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was one of the best players in La Liga and probably the most important player to Los Blancos’ success in their title-winning season. Benzema led the team in goals and assists and provided a lot more than the stats showed with his work rate, creativity, and even defensive contributions.
His brilliance, however, left few opportunities for the other strikers in the squad. Mariano Diaz made very few appearances, while Luka Jovic didn’t even register 500 minutes in La Liga.
Playing time is especially important to Jovic. The 22-year-old joined Real Madrid for 60 million euros last summer from Eintracht Frankfurt, apparently at Zinedine Zidane’s request. Jovic didn’t play much in his rookie season, but he did make an early start on Matchday 3 against Real Betis in the 2020-2021 season.
Still, rumors are swirling about the possibility of Jovic leaving on loan, even as Borja Mayoral appears to be moving closer to a move to AS Roma. Mariano is also on the transfer list, but it’s been difficult to negotiate a move for him.
Real Madrid gave Luka Jovic a start in their last match
According to a report from Mario Cortegana of AS, Real Madrid recently had a conversation with Luka Jovic about his future. The 22-year-old striker was informed that the club will not force him to take a loan deal if he does not want to be loaned this summer.
Zidane gave Jovic some minutes against Real Betis, and while the forward was quiet for much of the game, he ended up drawing a red card from Emerson on a breakaway. Jovic had great moments in 2019-2020, including a backheel assist for Casemiro’s winner against Sevilla earlier this year.
Next. Real Madrid player ratings from win over Real Betis. dark
Jovic needs minutes, but it would also be hard to find a suitable loan destination. Eintracht Frankfurt don’t seem interested, for example. And Jovic is Benzema’s best possible backup. The two can even co-exist as starters if they build more familiarity. Zidane wanted Jovic, and there’s no reason for him to give up on the Serbian international. It will just take patience. But at the end of the day, it seems like a loan spell is entirely up to what Jovic wants.