Levante have completed the signing of striker Borja Mayoral from Real Madrid on a season-long loan. The 22-year-old impressed for Granotas last season in La Liga, prompting Zinedine Zidane to send him out on another loan till June 2020.
Mayoral made 29 appearances for Levante last season, bagging three goals in the league as well. As Real Madrid have already stocked up Luka Jovic as their eventual successor to Karim Benzema, they’ve sent the 22-year-old out to a smaller side for greater exposure and to find his best form.
A point to prove
While Mayoral needed some time to adapt to the La Liga environment in his first year outside Real Madrid in the Spanish top-flight, he still made a decent impression. Much of his appearances last season came from the bench, but he still played a part in five goals by scoring three and assisting two goals throughout the campaign.
However, now that he’s completely synchronized with his new surroundings, Mayoral must prove himself as a top goal-scorer. He must score more consistently and deliver against superior opposition to properly get Zidane’s attention.
Thankfully for him, Levante are a side known for their beliefs in attacking football. Under Paco Lopez, they displayed some scintillating stuff last season, scoring goals in bunches and showcasing a fearless attitude. They even outscored Atletico Madrid and Valencia last season, as Mayoral will hope to be their lethal hitman this time around.
The need to compete with Benzema and Jovic
Now, Mayoral might’ve been the sacrificial lamb for this season due to Real Madrid’s multiple striking options, but he still has time on his side. The 22-year-old is starting to bloom as a dangerous striker, but needs to prove himself as hungry and clinical enough as his Madrid counterparts.
The 22-year-old impressed for Spain as they won the UEFA U-21 European Championships recently, even scoring twice en route to the final. He clearly has an eye for goal, but needs to amplify his striker’s instincts in order to be as good as Benzema or Jovic in front of goal.
Paco Lopez will definitely try his best to get the most out of Mayoral and evolve him into a menacing goal-scorer. But the journey from average to top-class is the Spaniard’s to take alone and if he breaks the 10 or 15 goal mark in La Liga next season, Zidane could be reevaluating his striking options very soon.