Manchester United's house cleaning continued with the loan of Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez to Real Madrid. Louis van Gaal found little use for the Mexican and offloaded him to the UEFA Champions League winners, who need a striker to back up Karim Benzema.
Real Madrid sign Javier Hernandez from Manchester United
The Mexican finally gets his move away from Old Trafford, and he’s managed to land at one of the only clubs in the world bigger than Manchester United.
Chicharito was hailed as Mexico’s next young star from a young age and showed why with Chivas, where he scored 21 goals in a season at just 21 years old. That earned him a move to Manchester United, where he got off to a blazing start. The striker scored 20 goals in his first season at Old Trafford and while he slumped some to just 12 the next year, he bounced back with an 18-goal campaign in 2012-13.
But Chicharito was miserable last season. He notched just nine goals and struggled for playing time. By the time the World Cup came around, he wasn’t even first choice for Mexico anymore, and van Gaal has found little use for him since taking over as United manager. It was clear that the Mexican had to get a move away from Old Trafford and he’s done just that.
Real Madrid have been in the market for a striker, having none on the roster except for Benzema. Alvaro Morata served as the team's primary backup last season, but he is with Juventus now. They were linked to several throughout the summer, but in the end they settled for Chicharito, who should fit in rather well. He is a hard runner and a poacher, meaning he can apply defensive pressure then sit himself in front of goal and wait for Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale to put the ball on his foot for a finish. He may not be first choice at the Bernabeu, but between La Liga, the Champions League and Copa del Rey, there will be plenty of matches to go around, allowing Chicharito to find his form again and play his way back into the Mexico starting XI.
