Real Madrid: 3 reasons why Luka Jovic is a brilliant signing
3. Real need his goals with Benzema getting older
Karim Benzema was probably Real Madrid’s best player in 2018-2019, as his 21 goals in La Liga clearly paced the Spanish giants. That said, Benzema is 31 and nearing the end of his best days, meaning Real absolutely had to find another striker on the transfer market to replace him.
Mariano Diaz, formerly of Lyon, has plenty of talent and still wants to stay in Madrid despite rumors that Zidane could sell him after a disappointing first season. But Diaz is older than Luka Jovic at 25, and, quite frankly, he isn’t as good.
In Jovic, Real have a consistent, proven striker with the added benefit of having massive upside due to his age. Jovic can already challenge Benzema for minutes at striker, or he could simply partner up with Benzema, who likes drifting out wide or dropping down more than Jovic. Based on how well Jovic worked with others at Frankfurt, fans should have every reason to believe that he can form a dynamic duo with Benzema.
It will be interesting to see how Real utilize both Jovic and Benzema, but it’s clear that Jovic is good enough to get regular minutes; there’s a reason why Real are spending upwards of 65 million euros on the former Frankfurt and Benfica star man.
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Likewise, it’s clear that Jovic is a long-term replacement for Benzema and could prove to be a more prolific goal-scorer than the French forward. At the very least, Jovic’s goals will come in handy. Gareth Bale, who is set to depart Madrid this summer, was second on the team in La Liga with eight goals. Jovic more than doubled that total at Frankfurt while sharing the goal-scoring spotlight with the underrated Haller for much of the season.