Real Madrid: Luka Jovic rejoins Eintracht Frankfurt on loan
Striker Luka Jovic, who has struggled for form at Real Madrid, has returned to Eintracht Frankfurt on loan until the end of the season.
Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic has rejoined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan until the end of the season, it has been confirmed.
Jovic returns to Frankfurt amid Real Madrid struggles
Jovic, 23, left Frankfurt for Madrid in a 60-million-euro deal in summer 2019, but has failed to reproduce the form he showed in Germany, scoring just twice in 32 appearances for Los Blancos.
Prior to moving to Spain, the Serbian international had netted 27 times in 48 games for Frankfurt in the 2018/19 season, a haul that included 10 goals in the Europa League as the Bundesliga side reached the semi-finals.
Injury and controversy-hit time in the Spanish capital
Jovic has featured for a total of just 208 minutes across five appearances for Madrid this term - and is yet to score - amid a string of fitness issues since his arrival.
In total, he has missed 17 Madrid games through injury or illness, including a two-week lay-off at the end of November after contracting the coronavirus.
The covid-19 pandemic also saw Jovic land himself in hot water in March, when he was found to have broken quarantine rules in his native Serbia, the player finally paying a 30,000-euro fine to avoid a potential six-month jail sentence.
Move a chance for Jovic to recapture form - Eintracht's Bobic
"Luka hasn’t had an easy time of late in Madrid," Eintracht sporting director Fredi Bobic said following the announcement of the player’s return to Deutsche Bank Park. "It’s important for him to find his form again. He had a strong desire to return to Eintracht."
Bobic added: "Luka can use the next few months to get back to his best in an environment that’s familiar to him. Real Madrid know that he’ll be well looked-after with us and can continue his development. And for us, it’s clear that we have another outstanding option at centre-forward."
Jovic will wear the number-nine shirt at Frankfurt, the German club said.