Real Madrid have agreed to sell Jesé for €25 million
It was always going to be difficult - nigh-on impossible, even - for Jesé to establish himself as a first-team regular at Real Madrid.
It was always going to be difficult - nigh-on impossible, even - for Jesé to establish himself as a first-team regular at Real Madrid.
While it’s patently clear the Spanish forward is a player of immense talent, muscling his way into Los Blancos’ starting line-up ahead of the world-class trio of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale was always going to prove extremely difficult.
After netting six goals in 38 (mostly cameo) appearances last season, Real Madrid and Jesé have decided it’s in the best interests of both parties if they go their separate ways this summer.
However, their decision has been made far more straightforward thanks to a generous bid from Paris Saint-Germain.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, the French champions have agreed to pay €25 million for the former Spain Under-21 international.
That’s a hefty fee for a forward who has scored a modest 18 goals in 94 appearances for the 11-time European champions since making his senior debut during the 2011-12 campaign.
However, PSG’s new head coach Unai Emery is a fan of Jesé, who can expect to be handed more minutes at the Parc des Princes following the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic earlier this summer.
The 23-year-old must have known his time at Real Madrid was over when his current employers paid £23 million to re-sign Alvaro Morata from Juventus back in June.
Los Blancos were expected to sell Morata, for a profit, with clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea reportedly keen to strike a deal.
However, Zinedine Zidane confirmed over the weekend that Morata is staying at the Bernabeu.
"Yes, Morata is a Real Madrid player," the French coach was quoted as saying by The Sun.
"We’re delighted to have him back, back to his original home. He’s going to remain a Real Madrid player."
Zidane also urged Jesé to leave the club on loan - a clear sign that he would continue to spend time on the bench had he remained at the Bernabeu.
"Jesé is part of that squad and it's true that last year he did not play much. If I were his friend, or family member, I would tell him to look for more playing time," Zidane was quoted as saying by ESPN. "But I am his coach and maybe he can get that here. We will see. I am happy with him, I know him well, I know his quality."