In a recent report, La Repubblica has mentioned that AC Milan are eyeing a loan move for Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic this summer. However, Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane is unwilling to sanction his exit at the moment with no incoming transfers in sight at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in this off-season (via La Republicca).
Jovic’s Mounting Struggles At The Bernabeu Last Season
Jovic encountered a frustrating spell at the Spanish capital since his arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer. The 22-year-old has only registered two goals and two assists in 27 matches for the reigning Spanish champions thus far across all competitions.
The Serbian marksman struggled to discover consistency with his performances in the attacking third and received only 806 minutes of game time in the 2019-20 campaign. The Bijeljina-born prospect failed to produce good numbers on the field as he averaged 0.8 shots, 0.3 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per game in La Liga last season. At least he distributed the ball well after completing 80.6% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).
Despite his recent shortcomings, Jovic had a terrific time during his spell at Frankfurt where he banged in 36 goals and provided nine assists in 35 appearances on all fronts. Maybe a loan switch to the San Siro this summer could help the player reignite his career and find some form at the highest level.
What Are The Serbian International’s Best Attributes?
Jovic was known for his killer instincts in front of goal during his spell in Germany. However, he failed to live up to such heights because Zinedine Zidane has chosen to use him sporadically in Spanish football last season. The Serbian sensation has the potential to become a consistent goal-scorer if given more opportunities to prove his worth at the top level.
Should Los Blancos Allow Jovic To Leave On Loan This Summer?
The Madrid giants should consider sending him out on loan so that he can get some confidence back and return as a stronger version of himself at the end of next season. However, the economic complications brought about by the COVID-19 crisis has restricted Real Madrid to stretch their financial muscle in the transfer market.
Karim Benzema remains Zidane’s first-choice frontman for the new campaign while Jovic serves as the only natural back-up for the Frenchman at the Bernabeu. Hence, Los Blancos cannot afford to lose another forward when they already lack depth in that area of the field.
The wiser move for the Madrid outfit would be to stick with Jovic beyond this summer so that they can give him some more time to settle into Zidane’s match-day squad and become a top performer for Los Blancos in the coming seasons.
