Joselu's unexpected arrival at Real Madrid, a signing that reminds a little of Chicharito Hernández.
MADRID -- When Real Madrid officially announced the signing of Joselu on June 19, many were shocked. He was a player who had already played for Real Madrid and yet had to make a living outside the capital to earn a spot in his club.
Because for Joselu, Real Madrid is his club. Those who know him say that wherever he played, he was always watching the white team on television. It didn't matter if he was in Newcastle, Germany, or back in Spain, Madrid was always his priority, according to a source close to ESPN.
The forward was raised in the Celta de Vigo academy until Real Madrid took him to train with Castilla and make his debut with the first team. His time with the first team was curious because he only played a total of 51 minutes but managed to score two goals.
The first one came in his debut against Almería in the 20210/11 season. He came on in the 84th minute and scored in the 97th. In the Copa del Rey, he did something similar in a match against Ponferradina, where he only needed a minute to score.
From then on, he began his journey in Germany, where he played for Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Hannover before making the leap to the Premier League. In England, he played for Stoke City and Newcastle, with an intermediate spell at Deportivo de La Coruña.
Back in Spain, in recent seasons, the 31-year-old forward played for Alavés and Espanyol before returning to Real Madrid, completing an idyllic circle for the Galician forward.
Now at the Santiago Bernabéu, despite initial doubts, his teammates are delighted with him. "He's a great player, a really nice guy, and he's going to score more goals than people think," says one player to ESPN. The same player reveals that he was surprised by Joselu's physical ability and his way of slipping through to reach the ball in the area.
Higher up in the club, when asked by several middle managers if his figure can be compared to that of Chicharito Hernández, it is believed that Joselu has a more complete profile.
"While Chicharito was a goal scorer in the area with good speed and dribbling, Joselu adapts a little better to the contemporary forward we were looking for."
Whether he is different from Chicharito or not, the role is similar. However, Joselu has a better opportunity than the Mexican because he does not have another specific forward as competition. In the 2014/2015 season, when the Jalisco native arrived in Spain, the competition was Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Jesé Rodríguez, Raúl de Tomás, and someone named Karim Benzema.
As for Joselu, he doesn't have any specific number 9 and is the only one in Florentino Pérez's lineup.
Joselu has no doubt about that. From now on, his performance will be applauded by the fans as he has nothing to lose. He is a player who knows what Carlo Ancelotti will ask of him and will be prepared for anything.