Ex-Real Madrid Striker Joselu Suggests What Real Madrid Are Missing
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Back in the 2023/24 season, Joselu returned to Real Madrid 11 years after leaving, joining on loan from RCD Espanyol. Having had failed spells at the likes of Stoke City and Newcastle United, many were stunned by the arrival of the striker.
Nevertheless, he had scored 16 goals in 34 league games for Espanyol the previous season, so there was recent precedence for success - and well, that certainly proved to be the case. In 15 La Liga starts, Joselu scored 10 goals and provided two assists as Los Blancos won back the league title.
But the now 35-year-old will always be most remembered for one game in particular. With nine minutes of normal time remaining, Real Madrid were 1-0 down at home to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg, and 3-2 down on aggregate.
With two minutes of normal time remaining, a Vinicius shot was parried by Manuel Neuer, with Joselu Johnny on the spot to tap the rebound into the back of the net. From there, many were preparing for extra time.
However, the striker was not done there. One minute into stoppage time, Antonio Rudiger drilled a left-footed ball across the six-yard box, with the former Espanyol man once again tapping home from close range. In real time, the linesman had his flag up, but VAR adjudged the goal to be onside, and he had single-handedly turned the tie around for Los Blancos.
The option to sign for the club permanently was there, but the forward instead opted to join Qatari side Al-Gharafa, and ultimately, why not? There was no topping what he did in his one season; might as well go and make some millions in the Middle East.
Joselu Points To No.9 Spot As Real Madrid Issue
Despite now being away, Joselu still watches Real Madrid games and often shares his thoughts on the team. In a recent interview with Diario AS, he was asked if the "typical striker" is lost nowadays, to which he responded: "Yes, and they're important. For a while, the false 9 was the hype, and I was against that type of player.
"For me, it's important to have a player like that [natural centre-forward] who can unlock games, who can pick back the centre backs. I remember how many goals Bellingham scored at Real Madrid because I would pin back the centre backs for him. We talked about it a lot; he made good use of those spaces. Now, he misses having a player like that."Joselu
After that, Joselu was asked if Gonzalo Garcia is of a typical number nine profile, giving the following answer:
"Yes, he's a box striker. I spoke with him at the Club World Cup. He's a natural finisher. The thing is, Real Madrid is Real Madrid. Mbappe scores 50 goals a season and you can't change him. That's why the typical 9 is lost. It's a shame because he [Garcia] can unlock many matches."Joselu
Meanwhile, the Al-Gharafa striker also said: "Everyone who stops me in Madrid tells me to return, that the team needs a player like me (laughs). That means I did things right when I was there. Scoring 18 goals in a season is difficult. People rememember."
Hard to argue with any of his comments. He is definitely the profile that Real Madrid currently lacks. His point regarding creating space for Bellingham is definitely true, and it is clear that the Englishman benefited from playing with his Spanish counterpart.
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Tom Vinall is a sports writer covering Real Madrid On SI. Previously, he had worked at FanSided as both a contributor and site expert, covering the likes of Spurs and Bayern Munich. He has also previously written for Transfer News Live. Tom was born and lives in Bristol, South West England, and loves to listen to music as well as learning Spanish.
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