Real Madrid transfer news: Champions League hero 'makes decision' on future

With parent club Espanyol having been relegated, the veteran was provided with the opportunity to rejoin Real 11 years after his departure.

At the time, the transfer divided opinion, yet it proved to be one of Real's best pieces of business in recent times.

Joselu scored 18 goals from 49 appearances in all competitions, including a famous double during the closing stages of the Champions League semi-final second leg versus Bayern Munich.

Courtesy of those two goals keeping him in Real folklore forever, the perception has been that Real will activate their low-price buy option and retain the 34-year-old's services.

Joselu to leave Real for Middle East

Instead, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Joselu has made the decision to link up with Qatari side Al Gharafa.

Joselu has seemingly been presented with a lucrative offer to move to that part of the world, with the deal said to be in its final stages.

Romano adds that head coach Carlo Ancelotti had been eager to retain the experience of Joselu, but he has opted to join a team that finished in third position in the Qatar Stars League for 2023-24.

Real did have the option to sign Joselu for €1.5m and any transfer fee paid by Al Gharafa is realistically expected to be around that figure.

Are Real likely to replace Joselu?

Whether Real opt to try to find an alternative for Joselu is far from certain given that Kylian Mbappe and Endrick have each come through the door.

That effectively ensured that Joselu had become fifth-choice attacker under Ancelotti, yet his physicality brought something different to the attack.

In a league like La Liga, Real can probably get by without a so-called target men, but there is no doubting that Los Blancos would have been in better shape with Joselu at the club.

Another experienced head in Nacho is also departing the Bernabeu this summer having chosen to move to the Saudi Pro League.