Spanish international Jose Luis Mato, commonly known as Joselu, on Tuesday expressed his joy and described it as a "dream come true" to make a return to Real Madrid. This significant move comes after a span of 11 years since he last departed from the club.
"I've been dreaming of this moment since the day I left, I'm very excited," Joselu, 33, told a press conference in Madrid.
The forward has scored three goals in four appearances for his country and arrives from Espanyol on a year-long loan with option to buy to help Madrid reinforce a depleted attack.
Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio and Mariano Diaz have left, leaving room for major reinforcements.
"We all know Karim's level at this club, but I'm here to do a different job," he said.
"I'm going to give my all for this club, it's the club of my life, when you step onto the pitch, especially at the Bernabeu, you want to score goals."
Joselu has become Real's fourth signing for the upcoming season, joining midfielder Jude Bellingham, defender Fran Garcia, and the returning Brahim Diaz.
The experienced striker, who has had spells with 10 different clubs across Spain, Germany, and England, previously featured for Real Madrid's B team. Although he only made one appearance for the senior team during the 2010-11 La Liga season, he was unable to secure a regular spot.
During the recent season, Joselu emerged as the third-highest goalscorer in La Liga, netting 16 goals despite Espanyol's relegation.
His impressive performances led to a call-up to the Spanish national team for the Nations League final four.
Joselu made a significant impact in the semi-final against Italy by scoring a last-minute winner. He then came off the bench in the final against Croatia, as Spain emerged victorious.
(With AFP inputs)
