Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has laid out his priorities for the summer transfer window. He wants an extra centre-back and a midfielder.
According to Spanish newspaper "AS", Mourinho won't rule out adding an out-and-out striker in the "9" role either, someone in the mould of Joselu who can act as a "plan B" when games get tight. That position isn't a priority right now, mind.
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The plan is to hand any new striker the part Joselu filled during the 2023-2024 season. He scored 18 goals and set up three more, most of them from the bench.
Joselu's finest hour came in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich. Two goals in nine minutes fired Real Madrid into the final and helped deliver a fifteenth title in the competition.
Signing a back-up striker wouldn't clash with Mourinho's plans for Endrick, who the coach will also lean on next season, not least because he can play through the middle or off the right.
For now, Mourinho's top targets stay the same: an extra centre-back and a midfielder who can cover ground and make things happen. A specialist striker remains on the table, an added option and a plan B for the long grind of a season.