Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Serie A outfit Atalanta ahead of the summer transfer window.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid centre-forward Luka Jovic has popped up on the radar of Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta side heading into the summer transfer window.
Jovic joined Real Madrid from Eintracht Frankfurt in a big-money deal worth €60 million in the summer of 2019. There were a lot of expectations on the Serbian after his exploits in the Bundesliga with Eintracht, but things have not panned out as expected for Los Blancos after they spent heavily on him.
Jovic, to date, has made only 49 appearances for the Spanish capital outfit, scoring just three goals and registering four assists. The Serbian international has never really got going at the Santiago Bernabeu, while a return to Frankfurt on loan in the second half of the last season did little to help him rediscover his form.
Jovic was heavily linked with an exit in the summer transfer window last year, but Carlo Ancelotti decided to keep him around and give him another chance. However, the 24-year-old has been unable to make the desired impact again and has largely spent time on the bench, providing cover for Karim Benzema.
Rumours of an exit in January were also doing the rounds, but Jovic has stayed put. However, a departure in the summer later this year looks inevitable, especially with Real Madrid targeting a double swoop for Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. The Serbian international has no shortage of admirers, though, with clubs in Italy fancying the striker.
A recent report indicated that AC Milan and Inter Milan had shown interest in Jovic. Now, Atalanta have seemingly joined the race to sign the 24-year-old centre-forward in the summer transfer window.
It is claimed that La Dea are in the market to replace premier striker Duvan Zapata, who came close to leaving the club to join West Ham United during the January transfer window. While the move collapsed, the Colombian international is expected to move to the Premier League in the summer, while Luis Muriel’s future also hangs in the balance.
As a result, Gasperini is on the lookout for new strikers, with Jovic emerging as a potential target. His contract with Real Madrid runs until the summer of 2025, and the club would be keen on recouping much of the €60 million they invested in him, which might be difficult given his decline in form and stature.
It remains to be seen how much the Merengues demand for him and whether Atalanta are willing to shell out that sum. For now, though, an exit from the Bernabeu seems very much on the cards for Jovic come summer.
