Real Madrid are reportedly close to sealing an agreement to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Luka Jovic as a long-term replacement for Karim Benzema
According to a report by Spanish publication AS, Karim Benzema’s days as the firm first-choice striker at Real Madrid could be numbered. The La Liga heavyweights are eyeing a deal for Eintracht Frankfurt star Luka Jovic, who is being eyed as a player to take over from the Frenchman in due course.
Luka Jovic has finally managed to come good on the promise he showed in his early years as a professional footballer, having made his senior debut at club level aged just 16. While he emerged as the one to look out for at Red Star Belgrade, it is at Eintracht Frankfurt that he has climbed the ladder to stardom, having been unable to carve out a place for himself at SL Benfica.
His first campaign on-loan at Frankfurt ended with a modest return of 9 goals and 2 assists in 27 outings across all competitions. But, Jovic has taken German and European football by storm this term, as he is presently second in the race for the top scorer honours in Bundesliga and Europa League, with an overall tally of 25 goals and 7 assists so far.
His exploits have invariably attracted the interest of some of the biggest clubs in the world, while Frankfurt have taken their option to sign the 21-year-old permanently for a mere €6 million sum. The German outfit though, could be set to sell him at a profit, with Real Madrid interested in him.
In a season to forget, the attackers’ inability to support Karim Benzema has proven to be the undoing for Real Madrid. While the Frenchman has remained largely consistent and has regularly won points for his side, it is clear that Zinedine Zidane needs others to start contributing as well.
To that end, signing a prolific striker as Jovic, who has his best years well ahead of him, makes a great deal of sense for Real Madrid. And, sharing game time, which has recently appeared as a genuine topic of concern for the player and his camp, which has led them to stray clear of the interest from Barcelona.
At Real Madrid, however, the Serbian sensation could be in for regular game time, with the 4-4-2 being a preferred formation for Zidane. In the said formation, Jovic could perhaps start by partnering Benzema upfront before eventually succeeding him as the first-choice striker.
Frankfurt though, are looking to make ten times as much as they paid to permanently sign Jovic, having slapped a price tag of up to €60 million on him. But, the amount is unlikely to faze cash-rich Real Madrid and it now remains to be seen if they are able to land the talented striker in the summer.
