Qatar contract for Joselu Mato revealed – Real Madrid believe forward is making ‘mistake’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid are set to lose Joselu Mato this summer, after the veteran forward agreed terms with Qarari side Al-Gharafa on a two-year deal with an option to extend it for a third. Los Blancos feel he is making a mistake though.

That is according to Relevo, who say that from within Real Madrid they feel it is an error to prioritise money over extending his spell at the club, after just a single year in the first team. One of the reasons he will leave is likely the increased competition from Endrick Felipe and Kylian Mbappe, but the report goes on to say that Joselu would have started ‘more than he might have thought’.

If Espanyol hold Al-Gharafa to ransome, Real Madrid will execute their €1.5m buy option and sell him to the Qatari side for the same price, allowing him one last courtesy. Joselu is set to earn around €10m per year, significantly more than he is earning at the Santiago Bernabeu, and indeed probably much more than he ever has. He has been considering looking for one last big contract in the Middle East for some time, with agent Jose Redondo traveling to Saudi Arabia with that in mind. In the end, Pini Zahavi helped mediate talks, and has not done badly for the 34-year-old.

While Real Madrid will not look for a replacement for Joselu – they do have plenty of competition for minutes up front – he does rob Carlo Ancelotti of one of his most effective weapons last season. None of their other forwards are natural reference points that seek to pin back a defence, and none have the aerial presence he does either, although they do have plenty of weapons with which to break down the opposition.

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