'Underwhelming' - Candid verdict on Leeds United forward Mateo Joseph's loan spell at Mallorca issued
Leeds United forward Mateo Joseph’s loan spell at Mallorca has been described as “a little bit underwhelming”.
The 22-year-old requested to leave Elland Road last summer after playing a bit-part role in the club’s Championship title triumph.
He had started the 2024/25 season as the first-choice frontman, only to lose his spot to Joel Piroe.
Joseph was loaned to La Liga outfit Mallorca, marking a return to the country of his birth three-and-a-half years after he left Espanyol for Leeds.
He has since made 29 appearances across all competitions, registering just two goals.
Mateo Joseph’s loan spell assessed
In an interview with MOT Leeds News, Football España editor Ruairidh Barlow has delivered a candid assessment of Joseph’s performances in Spain.
He said: “So far, his loan spell has been a little bit underwhelming. I think people probably expected a little bit more from him.
“You can see he’s got talent, pace, and power. I think people were quite excited because they’d seen him play for Spain’s under-21s and be very effective for them and scored a lot of goals.”
Valuation impacted
Wrexham were recently credited with interest in Joseph, who does not look likely to return to Leeds and be a regular next season if the Whites stay up.
If Leeds do look to move the former Spain youth international on, they may not pocket the type of fee they could have secured last summer.
Barlow said: “I would say his valuation’s probably gone down a little bit from where it was, at least from the Spanish perspective. I think before he moved to Mallorca, he was seen as potentially a great hope as a number nine.
“But part of his problem is that he plays with Vedat Muriqi, and he is the de facto number nine for Mallorca. So, he hasn’t really had a position to play, to be honest.
“I think people would have expected him to work quite well with Muriqi, but he hasn’t quite found that chemistry.”
Leeds, meanwhile, continue to be linked with forwards ahead of the summer transfer window. AZ Alkmaar sensation Troy Parrott has been reported as a potential target, as has Eintracht Frankfurt’s Jonathan Burkardt.