Real Madrid want striker to grow on loan in Serie A
To loan or not to loan? That is the question for Real Madrid with Luka Jovic.
On Saturday night at the Benito Villamarin, Luka Jovic drew a rare start for Real Madrid in an eventual 3-2 victory over Real Betis. Although Jovic did start the game slowly, he made an impact by drawing a red card from Betis right back Emerson, which turned the tide of the game.
Jovic started the match, but he did not finish it. Real Madrid subbed him out in the second half for another young striker mired in loan rumors, Borja Mayoral. Before the season started, Zinedine Zidane was reportedly growing fond of Mayoral, who scored eight goals with two assists on loan at Roma.
While Mayoral has been expected to get a loan deal to AS Roma, Los Blancos have been stalling on the deal since they may have to loan out Jovic. It’s unclear if Jovic wants a loan move to Serie A, where he is seemingly wanted by Milan and others, because his favored move to Eintracht Frankfurt seems highly unlikely to materialize.
According to a report from Joaquin Maroto of AS, Real Madrid would rather loan Luka Jovic to Serie A than Borja Mayoral. They seem to view Mayoral as a more ideal backup for Karim Benzema in the 2020-2021 season.
Real Madrid want Luka Jovic to get consistent playing time in Serie A
He is not similar to Benzema, but he provides a similar work rate, as we saw in his appearance against Real Betis.
Los Blancos want Jovic to grow with a loan spell in Italy and receive regular playing time, which simply isn’t possible in Madrid this season. Benzema is vital to Los Blancos’ success and is the best striker in La Liga by some distance. His goals, creative output, and energy mean the world to Real, and while Jovic is an asset, Zidane may not be able to adapt the system to fit him in and play him enough.
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A loan deal may be the best move. Real may nudge Jovic, but the decision was his. Brahim Diaz, for example, resisted loan moves throughout 2019-2020, barely played, and is now already off the scoresheet on his loan in Milan. Jovic could follow the same path, but that remains to be seen. Nevertheless, Mayoral’s emergence has given Real this option.