Manchester United have held talks over a possible deal to sign Real Madrid forward Joselu, according to GiveMeSport via Mateo Moretto.
United are looking to sign an experienced back-up for Rasmus Hojlund prior to the start of next season and Joselu’s profile fits the bill perfectly.
He is currently on loan at Real Madrid after arriving from Espanyol last summer. After the Catalan side were relegated from La Liga, Madrid took advantage of a clause in Joselu’s contract to sign him on loan.
Joselu has scored 14 goals in all competitions for Carlo Ancelotti’s team so far this season. Madrid also have the option to sign the striker permanently in the summer for £1.2 million, although they are yet to decide if they will activate that clause.
Endrick and Kylian Mbappe will be joining Real Madrid ahead of 2024/25, so the board wants to thoroughly study the viability of Joselu fitting into their squad before making the loan permanent.
The situation has alerted Man Utd with GMS carrying a report from journalist Mateo Moretto that claims the Red Devils have opened talks with Joselu’s agents to discuss a possible move to Old Trafford.
Joselu wants to stay at Real Madrid
However, Joselu’s primary objective is to continue at Real Madrid, with Mateo Moretto’s report further stating that the Spanish marksman will ‘exhaust all his options’ before considering a future elsewhere. The 34-year-old had mentioned a desire to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu when asked about his future. He said:
“I hope to stay with Real Madrid on a permanent deal. I had a clause that if Espanyol went down, I could go out on loan. And well, Madrid had the opportunity, they thought it was convenient to be able to trigger it. And here I am.”
Joselu is one of the most experienced players in an otherwise young Real Madrid side and has the experience of playing in the Premier League following stints at Newcastle United and Stoke City. The best of his career has been spent in Spain, but the Madrid star could be a shrewd short-term back-up striker for United.
United’s woes continue
Manchester United were on the end of a 4-0 thrashing at Crystal Palace on Monday night which clearly exposed the gaping holes in Erik ten Hag’s setup. Jamie Carragher ripped into the Mancunian giants as ‘one of the most poorly coached sides’ he has watched in the aftermath of their drubbing at Selhurst Park.
It’s starting to look imminent for the Red Devils that numerous changes are required across departments in the first-team and the manager is undoubtedly going to be under increasing pressure after the result. That said, the board does have ambitious plans for the transfer window.
Manchester United are going to be in the market for a centre-back, right-back, right winger and striker. So they need to work smart in the transfer market and a bargain move for Joselu would leave more money left over to spend on other areas of the squad.
