Madrid (EFE).- Real Madrid announced on Monday the incorporation of Spanish international striker Joselu Mato, who arrives on loan from Espanyol in an agreement that includes a purchase option at the end of next season.
Joselu, 33, will be presented on Tuesday at the Real Madrid Sports City in Valdebebas, after celebrating this Monday the League of Nations title won with the Spanish team in the Netherlands, beating Italy in the semifinals with his goal at the end of the game and to Croatia in the penalty shootout in the final, in which he also scored.
A call with the national team, like his return to Real Madrid, which was won thanks to the 16 goals scored this season with Espanyol, being the Spanish player with the most goals scored in LaLiga Santander.
Despite this, the Catalan club was relegated and after that Joselu returned to a white team, with whom he made his debut on May 21, 2011 after playing two seasons (2010-2012) at Castilla, Madrid’s first subsidiary.
In both campaigns he finished as the team’s top scorer and in the second he was key for the reserve team to achieve promotion to the Second Division after scoring 19 goals in the regular phase and another seven in playoffs.
After passing through the Real Madrid academy, Joselu continued his journey in Germany -Hoffenheim (2012-13), Eintracht Frankfurt (2013-14) and Hannover 96 (2014-15)-; England -Stoke City (2015-16), Newcastle (2017-19)-; and Spain -Deportivo de La Coruña (2016-17), Alavés (2019-22) and Espanyol (2022-23)-.
A trajectory that Real Madrid pondered in the announcement of his signing on its website.
“Ancelotti’s squad is reinforced with an experienced footballer, who has scored goals in the three major leagues in which he has played. In Spain he has signed 58, to which are added the 22 that he did in the Bundesliga and the 10 that he added in the Premier League ”, he pointed out.
Joselu, established in the Spanish team
In addition, Joselu has established himself in a Spanish team that celebrates this Monday the League of Nations title won on Sunday and in which the striker was important, since he scored the winning goal in the semifinal against Italy and in the final converted his shot against Croatia in the penalty shootout.
His arrival joins the previous novelties in the squad presented in recent weeks: Fran García, Brahim Díaz and the Englishman Jude Bellingham.