26 players and limited seatsJosé Mourinho currently has a squad of 26 players, at a time when the Portuguese coach wants to rely on just 20, plus 3 players nursing long-term injuries, namely Militao, Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy. That leaves Mourinho with 3 players surplus to requirements, even when the injured are counted within the squad.
The coach made his position clear after the Budapest match. “I want a small squad, made up of 20 players plus the injured ones,” he said. Now, with Thiago Pitarch’s promotion to the first team confirmed, Real Madrid’s numbers have swelled to 26.
Given the reservations of the current window, matters appear largely settled. Mourinho seems satisfied with what he has, save for a handful of players who may leave before the market closes.
Real Madrid spent 225 million euros on 6 signings to meet the coach’s needs: Diomande, Cucurella, Dumfries, Konaté, Bernardo Silva and Carlos Espai. Rodri was meant to be the standout deal, but the Manchester City midfielder left the club at a critical time, and there are as yet no plans to enter the market for another midfielder.
Signing a new central defender may still land on the table if the club receives a good offer for Asensio and the academy graduate agrees to leave, although he keeps repeating his desire to stay.
LaLigaEspanyolESP23 Aug 202603:30Real MadridRMAThree players look surplus to Mourinho’s needs, but he wants to lean on those capable of filling more than one role, such as Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva. Both can play right across the attacking line, and both can slot into midfield too.
The same applies to Bellingham. The coach believes that keeping players who get few minutes and little realistic chance of playing risks breeding a tense atmosphere in the dressing room, something he is desperate to avoid.
Camavinga is another Real Madrid still hope to sell, but the truth is the club has not yet received any serious offers for the Frenchman this summer. Camavinga has hinted at a desire to stay, though he may change his mind if a major club comes calling.
Should a suitable offer arrive, Real Madrid would not stand in his way, even if Mourinho admired what Camavinga produced through pre-season and praised his commitment in training.
Endrick’s situation was more sensitive, but the club shelved the idea of loaning him out at Mourinho’s request, according to the Spanish newspaper “AS”. Focus now turns to another player, Mendy, especially as the left-back position boasts 3 options.
Real Madrid want to resolve Mendy’s situation, but the player, according to AS, has no intention of leaving right now.
Finally, Real Madrid await offers for Asensio, who is highly confident he can convince Mourinho he is the right player for the project. The academy graduate put in plenty of work during pre-season before suffering a muscular injury in the quadriceps.
The injury is expected to keep Asensio out of training at Valdebebas for six weeks. That will only make serious offers harder to come by across the rest of the window.
Two players for every position: that is Mourinho’s plan. Yet a surplus lingers in some areas, most notably central defence, until Militao recovers, whose situation remains uncertain, and left-back, where Mendy is seen as a case that is difficult to rely on.
A surplus exists on the right wing too, softened by Bernardo Silva’s ability to fill several roles, including midfield, and there is an abundance up front.
Should any of these players leave, Real Madrid will treat it as a positive. If suitable offers fail to arrive, they will most likely stay put. Either way, the club has already laid the foundations of Mourinho’s squad. All that remains is to settle the fate of the surplus players before the transfer market closes.
