Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid, expressed strong satisfaction with his current squad on Tuesday, despite the club missing out on midfielder Rodri, who ultimately signed with rivals Barcelona.
This summer, Los Blancos undertook a significant squad overhaul, bringing in six new players including notable signings such as Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva, and Marc Cucurella. However, their pursuit of Rodri faltered, leaving their midfield reinforcements limited primarily to the acquisition of former Manchester City playmaker Bernardo Silva.
Squad Status and Midfield Concerns
Despite the market still being open, Mourinho conveyed a sense of closure regarding transfer activity. “For me the squad is closed, but the market is still open — you never know if a player will come and say ‘I’ve been benched twice and I want to leave’,” he told reporters. He clarified, “In theory no (more deals)… but something could always happen… In my head the squad is closed closed, and I have not asked for anyone. I am very happy with the players I have.”
Looking ahead, Madrid faces the challenge of upcoming departures in midfield, as veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are set to leave in 2024 and 2025 respectively. This has already impacted their ability to control games consistently.
In their La Liga opener against Espanyol on Saturday, Mourinho’s side secured a late 2-1 victory, deploying Silva alongside Federico Valverde in midfield—a pairing that highlights the current transitional phase in midfield composition.
Regarding squad fitness, Mourinho revealed that French defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni was not yet ready to feature in the upcoming match against Real Sociedad on Wednesday. “He’s got a problem, the holiday time wasn’t enough (for him to recover),” Mourinho explained, indicating ongoing fitness concerns.