Real Mallorca have finalised a loan deal, without a buy-out clause, with English Premier League side Leeds Utd to bring in their 21-year-old striker Mateo Joseph. Born in Santander (where our other new signing Pablo Torre is also from), he has an English father of Antiguan descent and a Spanish mother, and holds joint British and Spanish nationality. He’s also a relative of Emile Heskey with Joseph’s father being the former England international’s cousin.
Mateo’s CV states that he is a strong and technically proficient forward and has earned playing comparisons to a young Sergio Aguero. He’s been capped 12 times for Spain’s Under 21 side and featured strongly in their squad in the recent Under 21 championships in Slovakia. Mateo told the Leeds boss Daniel Farke he wanted to leave the club and return to Spain because of his lack of playing time at Elland Road. He will be introduced to Mallorca fans tomorrow (Saturday 9th) when Mallorca play in the City of Palma cup against Hamburg SV. Benvingut Mateo!
Mallorca’s Slovakian international goalkeeper Dominik Greif has finally signed for French side Lyon for a fee of 5 million euros. Let’s see who’s next on Mallorca’s shopping list.
And, after a week when the cost of building a new runway at Heathrow was slashed from £49 billion pounds to £500 cash-in-hand – it emerged a local contractor in Hounslow has some tarmac left over from a job just down the road ! – Real Mallorca have closed their 2025/26 season ticket campaign with the historic figure of 23,044.
Support for the team is at an all-time high as the club thanked their fans for their loyalty. Fans will be able to reunite with the team tomorrow (Saturday, August 9) when they play recently-promoted German outfit Hamburg SV in the 47th annual City of Palma cup. The players will be introduced to the fans at 19:30 and the game itself kicks off at 20:00.
The club are now close to the top 10 of the salary limit. The good economic and financial contribution from our American owners allows the club to climb up the rankings of top flight Spanish football. The game at the top level in Spain is known for its strict financial limitations. La Liga’s salary cap has gone beyond sensible restrictions and ensures clubs stay in business to the point where it’s having a damaging impact on the product it’s trying desperately to sell to the world.
This salary limit is the maximum total amount each club can spend each year. It varies between them according to their vastly different revenue levels and the overall health of their respective books. The idea is to ensure clubs that have got themselves into a financial hole (like Barcelona) will see their spending limits curtailed even if their annual revenues are higher than other clubs who are in a better state overall.
It’s the usual Summer at Son Moix regarding the transfer window. There’s more talk of departures than arrivals and every day a new name emerges of players wanting a change of scenery. Director of football Pablo Ortells is working around the clock to add the missing pieces in our squad, namely a left winger, a fourth centre back and a midfielder. In Mallorca’s case we have to sell players (which at the moment is a log-jam) before bringing new ones in.
It’s high anxiety from many fans about our lack of signings but such comments are identical to the vast majority of La Liga teams. There’s not a lot of money in Spanish football these days and most clubs like us are likely to wait until the end of August to “fine tune” their budgets with loans and free transfers.
Mallorca have four players, Greif, Maffeo, Samu Costa and Larin, whose futures are away from the island. If we sold all of them we would have quite a bit of money to spend on new additions. Mallorquinistas have to be patient and I’m sure we’ll get adequate replacements in place before September 1.
It was reported on Wednesday night that two unnamed clubs, one in England and the other Saudi Arabian, have put in offers of around 15 million euros for Real Mallorca’s Portuguese midfielder Samu Costa. Again, our director of football Pablo Ortells is not for turning and has stipulated Mallorca want 20 million. Costa’s previous club Almeria would get 20% of any transaction.
According to the French publication L’Equipe, Mallorca have rejected a bid from Lyon to sign our goalkeeper, 28-year-old Dominik Greif, for around 3 million euros. Mallorca are demanding a fee closer to 6 million for the Slovak international. Lyon sold their goalkeeper to Leeds United for 16 million euros, and Greif had reached an agreement on personal terms with the French side. If Greif goes to Lyon for 5 or 6 million, it’s a “steal” as he’s a brilliant ’keeper. His penalty saves against Sociedad in the Copa del Rey semifinal last season were the main reason we got to the final.
The other piece of transfer business concerns 19-year-old Barcelona (superstar in the making) youngster Jan Virgili. He wants to come to Mallorca but “Deco” the Barcelona director of football is holding out for an affordable buy-out and 50% of the rights. They’re asking Mallorca for four million euros. For now Ortells hasn’t offered, nor is willing to put more than two million on the table, so there’s slight hesitation in transfer proceedings. Barcelona know this young man is going to be big in a few years and will not negotiate a departure that does not include maintaining 50% of the rights and a buyout. A loan deal for now is off the table. It’s a case of wait and see.
Our second La Liga fixture is in Son Moix on Saturday, August 23, against Celta Vigo and is scheduled for a 5pm kick off. The sheer madness of starting a game in August at that time beggars belief and is hazardous to players and fans alike. Other games on the same day being played in the North of Spain have been arranged for later starts. The club have appealed to play the fixture at a cooler time but I doubt very much if the powers that be will change their minds. A few years ago we played Girona in Son Moix in August at 5pm in 35°C heat. Food/drinks outlets ran out of water and two fans keeled over with heatstroke. Spectators’ mouths were drier than Ghandi’s sandals and many left at half time.
PS A goal in each half from Abdon Prats and Takuma Asano saw Mallorca beat Poblense 0-2 to win the Agricultural trophy (better known as the “Potato Cup” !) in Sa Pobla on Wednesday evening.
AND FINALLY, eleven people were hanging on a rope under a helicopter – 10 men and one woman. The rope wasn’t strong enough to hold them all, so a decision was made – one person needed to let go. After much debate, no one could decide until the woman gave a heartfelt speech. “As a woman, I’m used to giving everything for my husband and my kids and honestly you men in general. I’m always sacrificing and get nothing back in return, so you know what, guys ? I’ll go, I’ll let go of the rope.” When she finished her moving speech – all the men started clapping !