Joselu Mato will become a Real Madrid player in the next few hours. In recent days, Espanyol and the white team have been shaping an operation that La Vanguardia has learned will end with the player being loaned out for next season in exchange for around 500,000 euros. The Chamartín entity has a purchase option, although the player will hardly return to Espanyol. In addition, the good relations between both entities will allow the blue and whites to incorporate some of the best promises of the white subsidiary, which these days is fighting for promotion to the Second Division.
The Galician footballer, author of 16 goals this year, has signed a dream season at Espanyol that has earned him to become international. However, the team's relegation and some differences with the previous sports management made the striker want a way out. The interest of Real Madrid, the team Joselu played for in his youth, accelerated the process, which will not become official until the player's concentration with the Spanish team ends.
Relations between Espanyol and Real Madrid are going through a great moment. The whites already made it easy for Luis García to leave a few months ago, and now they have agreed to pay for a loan to which the player was entitled in the event of the club's relegation. In addition, the blue and white team will be able to obtain the loan of a player from the white subsidiary. Specifically, midfielder Sergio Arribas is liked by Luis García. In the absence of a sports director, it was Mao Ye, the club's CEO, who personally led the negotiations directly together with José Angel Sánchez, Real Madrid's general manager.
With the departure of Joselu, Espanyol loses a goal, but also releases a very important salary that makes them positive in the financial fair play required by the League. This means that the club can already recruit players to try for promotion next season and, more importantly, it is not forced to sell any player, which will allow it to be more demanding in the event of a possible exit.
In addition, Joselu's last weeks at the club have caused a lot of division among the fans. In the last game he was whistled by a part of the Cornellà stands. With his departure, the entity avoids a new conflict like the one experienced in the past with Raúl de Tomás.
However, Espanyol must now look for a guarantee substitute that allows them to recover the category first. To do this, the first step is to find a replacement for Domingo Catoira, dismissed this week as sports director. So far it has been Luis García who has recommended names to the general management, but there will be no incorporations until they are agreed with the new head of the club's technical area.
