The winter market in the Real Madrid it was coming quietly, without much movement. However, it has started with turbulence. The assignment of Luka Jovic to the Eintracht of Frankfurt is about to close. The Serbian would return to his former team for the next six months with the idea of regaining the goalscoring confidence that led the Chamartín club to spend 60 million for him. His last season in Germany marked 27 goals in 48 games, and was the top producer of the Europa League with 10.
This operation puts the sports planning from Madrid this season. If it ends up closing (it seems that both teams are willing, but some details are missing to clarify), Zinedine Zidane will face the most important stage of the season with only two center forwards: Benzema and Mariano. A ballot with a difficult solution that will force the coach to exploit one of his stars, such as Karim, and try to dose it with another nine in which he has not trusted in the season and a half he has been in Madrid. Without going any further, in this He has only played 275 minutes and scored one goal.
Since the summer market the problem had been palpable. The first idea of Zidane and the club in the summer market was stay with Benzema, Mayoral and Jovic and sell Mariano. However, his record (more than 4 million net per season) made it impossible to find a way out. He Benfica He was close to closing a loan, but it was not possible. Taking this into account, the plan B, which consisted in yielding to Jovic. At 23, the Serbian could continue training in another team and then return to Madrid and show that he had the conditions to succeed. This decision was backed by Zizou, whose intention was stay with Borja Mayoral after seeing him in great shape during the preseason. But the same thing happened: none of the teams contacted was willing to face the payment of Luka's salary. Finally, Mayoral was forced to leave yielded to Rome a few days after they had informed him that he was going to stay. In addition, Zidane was left with two forwards in which he had no security.
More than 24 games with two forwards
In the coming days, Madrid will play the first title of the season, the Spain Supercup. This is the starting gun for what is to come, the most important stage of the season. The league it does not give respite and there is no margin of error considering the rhythm of victories of the Atlético de Madrid, current leader. Also this month will begin the journey in the Copa del Rey, the only pending account of Zidane. A title that he has not been able to win either as a coach or as a player. the first round will be against him Alcoyano. Later, between February and March, the Champions League in his KO phase. The dangerous Atalanta of Gasperini and company awaits. In total, there are already programmed 24 matches, which will surely be more, for the remainder of the course. For all of them, Zidane will have to cope with Benzema and Mariano.
Since the departure of Alvaro Morata, Real Madrid has not had a guaranteed substitute striker again. In his last year, the youth squad played 43 games and scored 20 goals. Mariano and Jovic together add only eight points dressed in white in the four seasons that they accumulate between them (two and a half the first and one and a half the second). And, even more serious, Morata cost 10 million euros (later it gave a profit with its sale to Chelsea for 60 million) while for the signing of the other two nines they were disbursed 82 million (22 from Mariano and 60 from Jovic).
And if that was not enough, Mayoral is dating in Rome. Despite not counting on too many minutes, the one from Parla takes every opportunity his coach, Paulo Fonseca, gives him. This is demonstrated by the six goals and four assists which adds up this season in just 744 minutes of play. Zidane was right with him.
Spain Supercup
* Data updated as of January 13, 2021