Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has insisted the club will not bring in any more players this month after completing a deal to sign Joselu.
Real are close to announcing a deal to sign Joselu, who scored 16 goals in 33 LaLiga appearances for Espanyol last season, despite the club being relegated. The 33-year-old, who previously played for Newcastle and Stoke, is set to become a cost-effective replacement for Karim Benzema, who left Real to take up a bumper contract with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad.
After signing Jude Bellingham, Los Blancos have been strongly linked with a move for Kylian Mbappe, having previously failed to complete a deal for the Paris Saint-Germain striker. Mbappe made headlines recently after sending a letter to PSG to inform them he will not trigger a one-year contract extension, meaning his deal will come to an end in June 2024.
Mbappe has effectively given PSG a choice to make: sell him this summer, or lose him for nothing at the end of his contract. Mirror Football understands their priority is to ensure he does not leave without a transfer fee, meaning they are prepared to cash in on the superstar during this window.
That intention means a high-stakes game of poker could be played out between all the parties over the summer transfer window. Within this context, it was interesting to hear Perez’s words to Real fans while signing autographs on Sunday.
In a video, which was posted on Twitter, Perez was asked if a deal to sign Joselu was close to being completed. He said it would be done this week before being questioned on any other deals. The Real chief said no other signings were currently being planned.
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His replies tally with the comments he made the previous weekend. Asked about a future move for Mbappe, he said: “Yes. But not this year.”
As well as losing Benzema, Real will also see Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio and Mariano Diaz leave the club this summer. Diaz is currently the only recognised central striker in the team, with stars Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo preferring to play off the flanks.
Joselu’s arrival will change that but many Real fans will hope that their club will be targeting another striker in this window. The club have also been linked with a move for Tottenham ’s Richarlison, who has a close relationship with Carlo Ancelotti from their time together at Everton.
Last week Richarlison admitted he had spoken to Ancelotti recently and that it was a “dream” to play for the Spanish giants. “Of course, every player wants to wear the shirt of Real Madrid," he told reporters while on international duty with Brazil.
"It's the biggest club in the world. But I have a club, a contract, I have to prove why they bought me for a high price. It was a bad season for me, also due to injuries that I had at Tottenham.
“But it’s a dream, a dream of every player to wear Real’s shirt. But I still have to deliver wearing Tottenham’s shirt.”
