"Can someone give me a good link to watch a Real Madrid match?" This was a sentence written by Joselu Mato on his personal account on the social media platform "X" twelve years ago. Joselu never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would lead his beloved team, Real Madrid, to the Champions League final. After appearing two years ago in Paris to support Real Madrid in the final against English Liverpool, he will be at the final this year but on the pitch rather than in the stands of Wembley as he was used to.
**A Humble Beginning**
Joselu began his career in the youth ranks of Celta Vigo before being signed by Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 to bolster the youth team, where he shone brightly, scoring 40 goals in 72 matches with the Merengues. However, he could not establish himself in the first team, leading to his sale to German club Hoffenheim in August 2012. He experienced several stints with Eintracht Frankfurt, Hannover, Stoke City, Deportivo La Coruna, and Newcastle, through loans and permanent transfers, until settling at Deportivo Alaves in the summer of 2019. After three years, he moved to Espanyol and became an indispensable player in the Catalan club's lineup, shining last season by scoring 16 goals, making him the third-highest scorer in La Liga, despite his team relegating to the second division.
**A Delayed Reward**
Joselu participated in Spain's U19, U20, and U21 teams, but he did not receive a call-up to the senior national team until he turned 33. On March 17, 2023, he received his first call-up to the Spanish national team for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Scotland. He came on as a substitute in the match against Norway on March 25, making him the oldest debutant for Spain since 2006, and he scored two goals in two minutes to help Spain secure a 3-0 victory. On June 15, 2023, he scored the winning goal for Spain in the 88th minute, just four minutes after coming on as a substitute, leading the team to a 2-1 win against Italy in the Nations League semi-final, and he played in the final against Croatia where La Roja claimed the title.
**A Temporary Deal**
Real Madrid's management decided to sign Joselu on loan from Espanyol last summer as a temporary deal after Karim Benzema's departure to Al-Ittihad and the amicable contract termination with Mariano Diaz. The decision was made to bring him on board as a backup option on the bench, despite being the only pure striker in Real Madrid's roster throughout the season. It was anticipated that Ancelotti would rely on the Brazilian duo Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes in the attacking line, without making any other attacking signings, pending a deal for Kylian Mbappe at the end of the current season.
**A Clear Impact**
From the first moment, Joselu understood that his role was merely that of a substitute at Real Madrid, and if he succeeded in proving himself, he would maintain this role in the future. The 34-year-old, despite his age, fought for his chance, and whenever he got minutes to play, he proved himself to Ancelotti. Joselu featured in 46 matches across various competitions this season, scoring 16 goals and providing three assists, averaging a goal every 120 minutes.
**A Long-Awaited Dream**
Joselu has repeatedly confirmed that he dreams of continuing with his beloved team, Real Madrid, and being signed permanently. Although Real Madrid's management has not officially announced his continuation, all indicators suggest that he is very close to staying, converting his loan into a permanent purchase, especially since he consistently performs as expected and enjoys Ancelotti's trust. Joselu is currently playing with Real Madrid on loan, with a non-mandatory buy option of 1.5 million euros. Reports have indicated that Joselu is willing to pay the buyout clause from his own funds to continue wearing the Real Madrid jersey next season, despite interest from other clubs like English Manchester United. It has also been noted that Joselu made another financial sacrifice at the beginning of the season by accepting a lower salary with the Merengues compared to what he was earning with Espanyol. It was clarified that Perez recognizes the sacrifices Joselu has made for Real Madrid and has given the green light for the player to remain with the team.
