63 million euros. This is the amount that Real Madrid paid during the summer of 2019 to afford the services of a flamboyant striker in the jersey of Eintracht Frankfurt: Luka Jović. Loaned by Benfica to the German club, the latter had exercised the purchase option exceeding €6 million in mid-April of that same year, before selling it at tenfold the price to Casa Blanca. However, after three short seasons, the native of Bijeljina will clearly not leave an indelible mark in Madrid: between performances below the expected level and repeated injuries, the international with 31 caps (10 goals) is unable to cope. impose himself at the forefront of the club from the Spanish capital (51 matches played TCC, which even sent him on loan to Frankfurt for six months in 2021.
Three seasons instead of five: Luka Jović leaves Spain through the back door by releasing him from his lease – while paying him part of his salary for 2 years – to join Fiorentina for free. The opportunity for him, therefore, to discover Serie A with a team in the first half of the table, capable of giving him confidence in front of goal. Mission accomplished for the Eagle, with 13 goals in all competitions between the championship (6), the Europa Conference League (6) and the Italian Cup (1). But after a short season with the Viola, the ex-Benfiquista changes course again, without leaving the Boot: on September 1, 2023, Luka Jovic is already leaving the capital of Art to join that of Fashion, signing at AC Milan for just one year.
Santa Claus Rossonero
However, his start to the Lombard team did not raise the crowds at the San Siro, far from it. Worse still, he had to wait until the beginning of December to finally find the net against promoted Frosinone, an opponent against whom he also opened his assist counter. And as Cristiano Ronaldo said so well in 2010: “goals are like ketchup: when they come, they come all at once.” In the weeks that follow, the 26-year-old Serbian will have understood this well. Scorer on the Atalanta pitch then at home against Salernitana, he even scored his first double in the Italian Cup against Cagliari, helped by an uninspired Sardinian goalkeeper in front of his line. But confidence returns, to the delight of his trainer, Stefano Pioli.
“He has great qualities, he must believe in them even more, explained the transalpine technician at a press conference after the Coppa victory. He arrived when he was not in good shape, now he is well physically and mentally, he must persevere and continue with this ambition and this motivation. Yes, but here it is, this gradual rebirth of the ex-Merengue does not prevent the Lombard management from wanting a recruit for the number 9 position, who will compete with Jovic and Giroud, with the name of the former Rennais Serhou Guirassy who comes up the most in the Italian press. Rennes, which also faces ACM in the play-offs of the Europa League phase from mid-February. Jovic therefore hopes to maintain this rhythm of shaking nets until then to bring the residents of the San Siro to the 1st C3 in their history…
