Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho informs 23-year-old Real Madrid star he has no place in next season’s plans
Real Madrid’s summer rebuild is now entering its second phase.
After strengthening key areas of the squad with several high-profile arrivals, the club’s attention has shifted towards reducing an overcrowded dressing room, and one player increasingly facing an uncertain future is Raul Asencio.
According to Alberto Pereiro on Radioestadio Noche, new Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has informed the young centre-back that he is not part of his plans for the upcoming season.
While the defender remains determined to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu and prove his worth, the club’s current priorities appear to point in a different direction.
The aforementioned development comes at a time when Real Madrid are actively working on altering their defensive department, with competition for places reaching unprecedented levels following some ambitious moves in the transfer market.
Mourinho’s plans leave Asencio facing uncertain future
Real Madrid have already reinforced their backline with the arrivals of Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, and Marc Cucurella, significantly increasing competition across the defensive unit.
The additions have left Mourinho with an abundance of options, particularly in central defence, where several players are now battling for limited places.
While healthy competition is usually viewed as a positive sign, Real Madrid’s current depth has created a selection headache that is difficult to ignore.
According to the report, Mourinho has already spoken to Asencio and made it clear that the academy graduate is unlikely to feature prominently in his plans for the new campaign.
As a result, the club has accelerated discussions surrounding potential departures before considering any further additions to the squad.
Asencio is determined despite Chelsea interest
Despite Mourinho’s position, Asencio has shown no intention of walking away from the club where he hopes to establish himself.
The young defender is prepared to use pre-season as an opportunity to change the manager’s opinion and believes consistent performances in training could still earn him a role during the 2026/27 season.
His determination has remained unchanged even after attracting interest from Chelsea, who have explored the possibility of bringing the Spanish defender to the Premier League this summer.
However, Asencio has rejected the prospect of leaving for Stamford Bridge, believing the timing is not right to abandon his ambition of succeeding at Real Madrid.
Those close to the player maintain that his priority has always been to fight for a place rather than seek regular football elsewhere.
In what will come as a pleasing development for fans, Fabrizio Romano reports that Real Madrid forward Rodrygo could make a comeback from his injury earlier than expected.
The 25-year-old Brazilian international has been out of action since March after suffering an ACL injury during a La Liga game against Getafe.
Due to the complete rupture of the ACL, coupled with associated meniscus damage, it was suggested that the attacker was staring at a lengthy time out on the sidelines and might not return until 2027.
In fact, the forward’s father, Eric Goes, recently stated in an interview that the Real Madrid ace could be back in February next year, just before the business end of the campaign.
Rodrygo could be back in December
However, as per the update from Romano, Rodrygo’s comeback could happen well before that expected date.
Indeed, if things continue to progress at the current rate, the 25-year-old attacker might return to action in December or by January 2027 at the latest.
This will come as a welcome boost for Jose Mourinho & co., considering that Rodrygo is a valuable player for the team.
Even though he had endured a tough spell prior to his form, the Brazilian’s versatility, work rate off the ball, and eye for a goal make him an asset.
Rodrygo eager to be back at his best
The update from Romano further states that Rodrygo feels very grateful to Real Madrid for all the help and support they have given him during this difficult phase of his career.
As such, the Brazilian international has made it a mission to return to action in the best shape possible and make an impact from the get-go.
The attacker has only recently begun working on the pitch with the ball indicating the significant progress he has made on the road to recovery.
And, if there are no setbacks, Real Madrid could recover one of their ace attackers before the end of the current year.
So far in his career, Rodrygo has made 297 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 71 goals. He has a contract with the club until 2028.
Samuel
July 22, 2026 at 9:43 am
What Asebcio should do is to leave, if he believes he’s good enough let him go and prove it elsewhere because he hasn’t proven it in Real Madrid for the time he has been there, and they may not have time to wait for his development, what Real Madrid is looking for now is trophies and not building up players.