Real Madrid makes transfer moves as Mourinho takes charge
Real Madrid’s Transfer Activity
Real Madrid is reportedly close to finalising a deal for Diomande from Leipzig. This potential acquisition, valued between 120-130 million, would reportedly remove PSG from the competition for the player’s services. Meanwhile, Arsenal is said to be preparing a significant salary offer to attract Vinicius Junior, though Jose Mourinho, the newly appointed manager at Real Madrid, is reportedly unwilling to sanction his departure. Vinicius Junior himself is said to prefer remaining with Los Blancos and renewing his contract.
Should Vinicius Junior not move, Bradley Barcola of PSG is reportedly Arsenal’s alternative. PSG has reportedly set a price of £145 million for Barcola, a fee that neither Liverpool nor Arsenal appear prepared to meet.
Managerial Changes and Squad Reinforcements
The appointment of Jose Mourinho as manager at Real Madrid followed a period of elections that reportedly delayed his arrival. This delay meant Real Madrid paid 15 million euros to secure his services from Benfica. Reports indicate that Florentino Perez has spent 60 million euros on hiring and dismissing managers in the past year. Mourinho’s previous tenure at Real Madrid saw the team overcome Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final in his first season, and win the league with a record number of points and goals in a single La Liga season.
Real Madrid has also been active in strengthening its squad, particularly in defence. Ibrahima Konate has joined as a free agent, supplementing Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao. With David Alaba‘s departure, Mourinho has reportedly requested an additional centre-back. The club has also addressed the left-back position with the €60 million signing of Marc Cucurella from Chelsea. On the right flank, Denzel Dumfries was acquired for €25 million from Inter following the departure of Dani Carvajal.
In midfield, Bernardo Silva has been signed on a two-year deal, reportedly ahead of Barcelona. This addition aims to bring new dimensions to the midfield, particularly after the departure of Toni Kroos two years prior. The absence of Kroos reportedly limited Real Madrid’s ability to play through the middle against low blocks, impacting Jude Bellingham’s role. Bernardo Silva’s arrival is expected to help alleviate this, though another creative midfielder may be needed to fully support Bellingham and provide more positional freedom for Fede Valverde. Bellingham scored 23 goals in his first season in the Spanish capital.
Player Dynamics and Future Outlook
The dynamic between Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe on the pitch has been a point of discussion. A statistic on defensive contributions per 90 minutes lists Mbappe at 0.2, making him the bottom-ranked player among 344 La Liga players in that metric. Vinicius Junior is positioned eight places from the bottom, with an average of one contribution per game. This suggests that both players contribute minimally to defensive efforts.
An example of a different approach was seen in a 3-0 victory over Manchester City in March, where Mbappe was absent due to injury. Brahim Diaz took on the striker role, maintaining positional discipline and applying pressure to defenders. This allowed Federico Valverde more freedom across the pitch, contributing to a first-half hat-trick in what was described as the team’s most emphatic win of the season. The task for Mourinho is to transform the current squad into a more cohesive unit, capable of imposing itself without solely relying on transitional attacks.
In Barcelona, the transfer saga involving Julián Álvarez continues, while Raphinha has returned to training. In Valencia, the focus remains on securing quality reinforcements.
The transfer market continues to be a significant topic, with various clubs making moves as of July 27, 2026.
Source: onefootball.com
