Real Madrid: Why BVB flirt Jovic is currently hard to place

Luka Jovic is likely to play only a minor role once again as Real Madrid look to come back from a 4-3 semi-final first-leg defeat by Manchester City on Wednesday night to reach the Champions League final. The former goalscorer from Eintracht Frankfurt never really arrived at the royal team, and a farewell in the summer is considered likely. But some interested parties – including BVB – could become skeptical about the cost-benefit analysis of a transfer.

Sometimes a transfer can be a pretty heavy backpack: Insane 63 million euros went to Frankfurt Eintracht in the summer of 2019 when Luka Jovic signed in Madrid.

The attacker was tied to the royal team for six years, but the first three didn’t go according to plan at all, as much can be said today. At Real, the 24-year-old still hardly gets any playing time.

Jovic’s career has clearly come to a standstill: In the current season, the Serb was only allowed to play 473 minutes in competitive games, spread over 17 appearances. A goal and two assists are his frustrating haul.

Also on Wednesday, the national player will play in the fundamentally important home game against Manchester City (from 9 p.m. in the LIVE ticker at sport.de) probably only be an option as a joker for the final phase.

However, it is more likely that Real’s master trainer Carlo Ancelotti will once again completely do without Jovic’s services – for the goalgetter a. D. long sad everyday life. But how did it come to this?

Deputy role for Jovic several numbers too big

In Frankfurt, Jovic, as part of the legendary “buffalo herd” alongside Sébastien Haller and Ante Rebic, once rose to become one of the most sought-after players in Europe. He scored a total of 40 goals in 93 games with the eagle on his chest.

In the meantime, Jovic was so hyped that even the 63 million euros invested by Real was considered a fair price. From today’s perspective, the bosses of the Spanish top club should think differently.

The striker can hardly be accused of not being able to get past Karim Benzema, perhaps the best nine in the world at the moment. But the role of deputy seems too big for Jovic at the moment. He remained too inconspicuous with his few chances of probation.

The unsatisfactory situation has long been a source of concern for former companions from the Frankfurt days. One of them is Jovic’s compatriot Dragoslav Stepanovic, himself a living Eintracht legend.

“Time is a big problem. Luka hasn’t played regularly for three years,” warned the 73-year-old in an interview with “Sport1” and demanded: “He should switch to a club where he is a regular player and where he can reach the top level again. […] He has to leave Real Madrid!”

The only question is who would even be considered as a buyer.

Persistent rumors about BVB interest – bosses have doubts

One club regularly linked to Jovic in the rumor mill is Borussia Dortmund. BVB is facing a change in attack, after a possible sale of top star Erling Haaland, the offensive power could be spread over several shoulders.

Lo and behold: According to “Sport1” information, Jovic is said to have recently offered himself to the Westphalians. But no matter how much he flirts with a commitment to the black and yellow, the reservations in the executive floor of the Bundesliga club are said to be as great.

There is said to be skepticism about the Serb’s fitness level and lack of match practice. BVB is therefore “not completely behind this idea”.

In addition to said doubts, there should be another problem: Jovic’s exorbitant salary. Real is said to be ready to let the 24-year-old go for 20 million euros, but he is currently said to be earning over ten million euros per season with the royal team.

At this point at the latest, a cost-benefit analysis of Borussia should result in a lowered thumb, while the competitors (Arsenal FC, Juventus Turin) are also hesitant. The overall package seems hard to convey at the moment.

Jovic has to collect arguments, but is not allowed to

And now? Neither Luka Jovic nor his advisors really know that. They don’t actually want to bake smaller rolls, but waiting out the lucrative contract could completely ruin the career of the crashed high-flyer.

A first step in the right direction would be one or the other sporting sign of life from the noble reservist, loosely based on the motto: “Look, I can still do it!”

However, it is more than questionable whether coach Ancelotti Jovic will give Jovic these opportunities in the final spurt of the season. The former Bayern Munich trainer shouldn’t think too much of the attacker, several Spanish media reported unanimously.

The crux: Without new sporting arguments, such an ambitious club as BVB, disappointing season or not, should certainly not be ready to put together a multi-million dollar package for Jovic. The risk that price and performance will not match in the end is too great.

Heiko Lütkehus