Another homegrown player leaves Real Madrid. Big things were expected for Jese at the Santiago Bernabeu, but those hopes were ultimately dashed by injury and overbooking in the forward department. And ultimately, the winger has had to move on.
Jese completed his €25 million move to Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend and was unveiled as a PSG player on Monday. "Madrid will always be my club," he said. "But I had to change."
For fans of Los Blancos, it is a disappointing end to a story that had seemed so promising as the winger burst onto the scene in Carlo Ancelotti's first season in charge to become a key player for the Spanish side. Such was his promise that Jese outshone Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale on occasions, scoring eight goals in 31 appearances (many from the bench) as he excited the supporters and also his coach.
"Jese is a crazy talent and he is still only 21," Ancelotti purred in February 2014, while the player himself was aiming as high as possible and admitted: "I have dreamed of winning the Ballon d'Or in four years."
But bad luck halted his progress in March of that year. Against Schalke in the Champions League, Jese tore his anterior cruciate ligament and missed Madrid's march to the title. He was sidelined for almost nine months in total, eventually returning in early December against Cornella in the Copa del Rey.
However, he seemed short of full fitness for some time and failed to make the same impact he had before, perhaps understandably after such a serious injury.
"I had a very tough time," he said later. "But I think that things in life happen for a reason. Maybe I had the injury because I needed to learn and become a more mature footballer."
Jese started the 2015-16 season in the team under Rafa Benitez as Karim Benzema missed out through injury away to Sporting Gijon and he also impressed the Spaniard's successor, Zinedine Zidane, netting a key goal in the Frenchman's first Champions League game, a 2-0 win away to Roma.
The 23-year-old went on to make 38 appearances, scoring six goals, but it would be his final campaign at the Bernabeu. With Ronaldo and Bale ever-presents in the team when fit, competition for places is fierce at Real. James Rodriguez and Isco cannot find their way into the team, while Lucas Vazquez moved ahead of Jese in the pecking order and the Las Palmas-born forward has reluctantly opted to move on.
"After 10 years at Real Madrid, it was time for a change of scenery," he said on Monday.
Zidane, meanwhile, has left the door open for a possible return for the winger in future. "Madrid is his home," the Real coach said. "He has been here his whole life. Maybe he'll go for a year and then come back..."
Like so many Madrid youth players before him Jese will have to prove himself away from the Bernabeu; but like Alvaro Morata, Dani Carvajal and Lucas, he may be back in the future.
There is no buy-back option, though, and a five-year deal has been signed at PSG. "At this club I hope to exploit my qualities and I will have more minutes," Jese said.
The winger also added that he would do his best to learn French as quickly as possible, but under a Spanish coach in Unai Emery the transition should be smooth. And now he has the chance to prove he can be the player he looked like becoming when he emerged so spectacularly back in 2013.
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- Goal