Real Madrid News
Mourinho faces dilemma at Real Madrid with six stars competing for two spots
Real Madrid spent the summer trying to sign Rodri from Manchester City, but the Spaniard eventually chose to give preference to a move to Barcelona.
While Rodri has not yet moved to the Catalan club, Los Blancos have definitely moved out of contention to sign him this summer.
According to AS, this has left Jose Mourinho with a decision to make on his midfield options without the option of the 30-year-old Spaniard.
The Portuguese tactician appears settled on using a 4-2-3-1 system, but the two midfield spots behind Jude Bellingham remain very much up for grabs.
The Englishman is nailed on for the spot directly behind the striker, and rightly so, following his exploits for England at the World Cup.
Valverde and Bernardo lead the race
Federico Valverde looks almost certain to remain one of Mourinho’s key players. He has also taken on the armband for the new season.
The Uruguayan captain brings energy, leadership and tactical flexibility, making him one of the strongest contenders to start.
Alongside him, Bernardo Silva has quickly emerged as another favourite.
Although naturally a more advanced midfielder, the Portuguese international has already shown during pre-season that he can dictate play from deeper areas.
In the absence of a profile like Rodri, Jose can get away with deploying Bernardo in defensive midfield in a similar role.
Competition remains wide open
Aurelien Tchouameni is expected to challenge strongly once he returns to full fitness after minor physical issues delayed his integration into pre-season.
Eduardo Camavinga has started every friendly so far but continues to face uncertainty over his long-term role after an inconsistent campaign.
He has not had the most compelling of pre-seasons either for Jose to look at him and make him a key part of his plans.
Meanwhile, Arda Guler has been one of the standout performers of pre-season. However, Mourinho still views the Turkish international primarily as a No. 10, where Bellingham remains first choice.
Young midfielder Thiago Pitarch also remains part of the first-team plans despite retaining a Castilla registration.
The Spanish breakout starlet was initially a candidate to leave the club this summer, but the Rodri setback seems to have paved the way for him in the first team.
Mourinho has to get the balance right
The most important challenge for Mourinho is not putting the best two names together in the middle of the park, but rather identifying the balance that works.
On paper, a combination of Valverde and Bernardo can work wonders, but the others will have to step up.
The upcoming season could be massive for the likes of Tchouameni and Camavinga, who are both young but have not yet proven themselves at the club.
It remains to be seen how Jose goes about getting his midfield options working and whether he can identify the perfect combination that makes Rodri’s absence as irrelevant as possible in the long run.
After three successive wins to start the season, a 1-0 loss to Real Betis came as a reality check for Real Madrid, who are still some way off matching the quality and consistency of Barcelona.
In light of the defeat, the Real Madrid coaching staff is analysing the best way to get the most out of the current setup.
More expected from Valverde
According to Defensa Central, one of the key conclusions drawn from the Betis defeat is that Real Madrid need greater involvement from Federico Valverde with the ball.
The Uruguayan has been deployed as the pivot, largely due to the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni, but he is yet to make the step up in quality the team requires from that role.
While his effort and commitment are never in doubt, Mourinho and his staff, led by Sami Khedira, feel Valverde spends too much time positioned behind the opposition’s midfield line.
As a result, he fails to offer passing lanes to his teammates when they are under pressure, forcing them into hurried, aimless clearances rather than playing out cleanly from the back.
That concern has already been communicated to Valverde, who is still adapting to a position he has never truly played, making the challenge all the more difficult for him.
A collective issue to fix
However, the problem is not Valverde’s alone, with the coaching staff identifying a wider issue in the team’s structure.
Khedira has reportedly noted a certain passivity from the attackers in the videos of the match, particularly Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, when it comes to offering themselves as the ball transitions from midfield into attacking areas.
That lack of movement compounds the difficulties for the deeper midfielders.
Mourinho, for his part, remains unfazed by the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting his squad has the tools to cope.
“I’m not missing Rodri. We have solutions, we have quality,” the Portuguese said, before adding that he backs his ability to improve players.
With a Champions League opener against Inter Milan on the horizon, Mourinho and his staff will be keen to iron out these issues quickly.
