The Athletic had recently reported that Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic is on Wolverhampton Wanderers’ radar as Nuno Espirito Santo has enquired about a potential loan move for him during the winter transfer period. It is understood that Los Blancos prefer to ship him out permanently which could make the West Midlands club’s chances of landing him very slim in January (via The Athletic).
Jovic’s Recent Struggles At The Spanish Capital
Jovic has struggled to live up to the high expectations surrounding his arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt last year. He has found the back of the net twice and secured two assists in 32 matches for the Madrid outfit thus far.
The Serbian international has hardly featured for Zinedine Zidane’s first-team this season after making only five appearances for them across all fronts. He has struggled to find consistency on the field due to the lack of game time which is evident in his stats as he is averaging 1.5 shots, 0.5 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. However, Jovic has done well to distribute the ball immaculately in the final third as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 84.6% in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).
Jovic has to figure out a way to end his Bernabeu misery by engineering a move away from the Spanish capital next month. However, Los Blancos’ preference to only entertain permanent deals for him could be a stumbling block for Wolves in their pursuit of the Serbian forward.
What Are The Serbian International’s Strengths?
When Jovic is playing with confidence on the field, he can be a prolific goal-scorer as he proved during his time at Eintracht Frankfurt. The 11-time Serbia international has decent pace in his locker that enables him to make some driving runs with the ball on the offensive end of the pitch.
The former Benfica marksman can effectively find space for himself to get a few shots in on-target or set up plays for other around him deep in the opposition half. However, his recent injury record and lack of productivity at Madrid makes him a gamble for any top-flight team in Europe, including Wolves.
Should Zidane Consider Loaning Jovic Out Next Month?
If Zidane receives a bid to let Jovic go permanently in January, he should definitely sanction his departure as Jovic is surplus to requirements at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. However, Los Blancos should consider sending him out on loan so that he can come back as a better version of himself next summer. A successful loan spell could also raise Jovic’s market value significantly, so the Madrid giants should also think about agreeing to his temporary departure during the winter transfer window.
