Real Madrid are reportedly open to the idea of selling young forward Jese Rodriguez, amid rumours that Arsenal are interested in the 22-year-old forward.

That’s according to Madrid-based newspaper AS (h/t Daily Mirror, via the Independent), which claimed that Jese is growing tired of his lack of opportunities with Los Blancos and that Real are now reportedly willing to move the player.

Jese has started four La Liga matches so far in 2015-16, scoring two goals, as noted by WhoScored.com. Those four starts have largely come whenever top striker Karim Benzema was unavailable; when the Frenchman is healthy, he’ll always be the automatic starter.

That’s not to say Jese hasn’t proved himself a valuable asset when given the chance. Squawka‘s Phil Kitromilides thinks he has certainly shown enough to be given a bigger role moving forward:

On Saturday, he scored against his hometown club Las Palmas – his second goal of a season in which he has started just four league matches. Both his strikes this term have been of serious quality, showing an innate hunger as well as an awareness of goal, and Monday’s edition of Madrid-based sports daily AS has him on their front cover with the headline: “Jese’s Moment”.

They, along with others, are calling for the 22-year-old to be given a run in the side, even when Madrid’s litany of injured stars return.

Jese has long been regarded as one of the brightest talents to emerge from Real’s youth setup in years, displaying a phenomenal scoring touch that saw him promoted to the senior squad in 2012. He impressed greatly during the 2013-14 season and appeared to be on the verge of superstardom.

All was going well for the youngster until he suffered a serious knee injury in March of 2014. He didn’t return to the pitch until December of that year and has been working his way back to top form ever since.

His performances in the past couple of weeks indicate that he has finally made it back, providing Real with a capable and talented backup to Benzema. Jese will continue to see his minutes in cup matches and against La Liga’s lesser teams, allowing Benzema to be well-rested for Los Blancos‘ top clashes.

AS have made the most of Jese‘s triumphant return in the last couple of weeks, as Kitromilides alluded to in his piece for Squawka. Just last week, it claimed Inter Milan have been scouting him for a while with an eye on a January transfer (h/t Football Espana), followed by these latest claims linking him with Arsenal.

It’s hard to believe the youngster would be disappointed with a lack of minutes, given the fact he’s currently playing more than ever and having spent so long working his way back from injury. Likewise, Real’s willingness to let him leave now that he’s establishing himself as a viable backup makes little sense.

Jese‘s future will become clear once Benzema is fully healthy and ready to rival him for the starting position. If the Spaniard can’t find enough minutes to continue his development, a deal similar to the one Juventus struck for Alvaro Morata could come into play.

Like Jese, Morata was stuck behind Benzema in the pecking order and was sold to Juventus in a deal that included a buy-back clause. It’s unclear whether Real will use the clause or whether Morata is interested in returning to Madrid, and the outcome of that situation should in turn play a role in how Real move forward with Jese.

 

Galatasaray Want Joel Campbell?

Turkish news outlet Fanatik (h/t Turkish Football, via Metro‘s Mark Brus) believes Galatasaray are preparing a January move for Joel Campbell.

The 23-year-old winger has seen limited opportunities with the Gunners after a series of loan spells and is widely expected to leave the club at some point in the near future.

He recently told IBTimes UK’s Eduardo Fernandez-Abascal that he has no intention of leaving north London, however:

No (I didn’t want to move). I’m here at Arsenal, I am very happy. I keep fighting for my dream and I think I still have a long-term future here.

Obviously a player always wants to play but in a team which has so many quality players like Arsenal, you need to be patient and taking the chance when it arrives

The Costa Rican has recently seen an increase in playing time due to a series of injuries to his team-mates, but when everyone’s healthy, Campbell hardly ever leaves the bench. Last season was supposed to be his breakout campaign after a superb showing at the 2014 World Cup, but he didn’t start a single Premier League match and was ultimately loaned to Villarreal.

James McNicholas of uMAXit Football thinks he still has a role to play, but not as a starter:

Fans have been waiting for Campbell to break out and establish himself as a top attacking option for years, and it still hasn’t happened. He’s a solid depth option who can add something to Arsene Wenger’s squad, but if Galatasaray are willing to pay fair value, a transfer should be considered.

Campbell deserves the opportunity to prove himself in a situation where he has the chance to play more minutes, and Galatasaray could provide that option. His insistence on proving himself with the Gunners is admirable, but at some point he has to make the best decision for his career.

 

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