Carlo Ancelotti says he’s a big fan of player Newcastle sold for just £2.5m

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When Carlo Ancelotti talks about strikers he likes, you would think he was focussing on greats of the game like Karim Benzema or Robert Lewandowski, not former Newcastle United player Joselu.

But the Real Madrid manager is full of praise for the man who only scored seven goals in 52 appearances during his time at Newcastle.

Carlo Ancelotti likes Joselu

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has spoke to the media about signing a striker this summer, and took time to praise the man who used to lead the line for the Magpies.

“Joselu? I like him a lot,” he said.

“I also like Aspas and Morata. I like those who score goals. We are working on this. I won’t say names of our targets now.”

He has come a long way since his failed Newcastle spell

While he certainly tried hard, Joselu will always go down as a flop for his time on Tyneside. He was signed by Rafa Benitez in 2017, tasked with scoring the goals to keep the Magpies in the Premier League.

Newcastle did survive that season, but it was not down to Joselu. He scored four times that season, while the following year he was even worse. In his second season, Joselu scored twice in the Premier League and once in the FA Cup.

With just seven goals in two years, Newcastle got rid in the summer of 2019. Joselu headed back to Spain, with Alaves buying him for £2.5million.

Just getting any money for him was a bonus for the Magpies, but he proved to be an absolute bargain. Joselu played some of the best football of his career at Alaves, hitting double figures in three consecutive seasons. He had previously never managed that in a top European league.

At the start of last season he was on the move again, agreeing a free transfer to Espanyol. Joselu has since proven that his form for Alaves was not an anomaly, and he has actually been even better since the move.

The 33-year-old has enjoyed the best season of his career, scoring 16 La Liga goals. Only Benzema and Lewandowski have scored more in the to flight of Spanish football. On top of that, Joselu has received international recognition from Spain.

Now he is being talked up by the Real Madrid manager, who is keen to sign a new striker ahead of next season. The Joselu fairy tale continues, as he goes from strength to strength since his Newcastle United departure.