Real Madrid News
Mourinho identifies Serie A defender as his ‘chosen’ centre-back target – report
Jose Mourinho is being brutal with the existing Real Madrid squad through his transfer decisions, and has not shown even mild hesitation in signing new players in positions where he has doubts.
The defence, on that front, is witnessing wholesale changes with Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konate all arriving.
Mourinho, however, has no intention of stopping with the three signings and is further pushing for a second elite centre-back recruitment. His stance, needless to say, makes it clear that he does not believe in the existing options.
Italian star on the radar
As revealed by Miguel Serrano in a recent update, Mourinho has decided on his preferred signing for the second centre-back position, and it is none other than Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni.
The Italian star has been linked with a departure from Milan for several months now, and was initially touted as a top target for Barcelona.
Hansi Flick’s side, however, gradually waned their interest in the defender and Real Madrid may well pounce on the opening.
Bastoni is said to be Mourinho’s preferred centre-back option over all other available options this summer, and the manager values his combination of talent and experience heavily. Should he arrive, there will be no denying him a starting berth.
A difficult negotiation
Friction between Bastoni and the Inter Milan fanbase towards the end of the season was rumoured to be a reason why the player was looking for an exit in June.
The situation now, however, is different and Inter Milan will not make it easy to sign the 27-year-old star. In fact, Inter Milan president Giuseppe Marotta even spoke in a public interview and closed the door to Bastoni’s exit.
“I think our fans can be relaxed with Bastoni’s situation. He never asked to leave, he’s so happy here and we’re not a selling club,” he said.
It thus remains to be seen how Real Madrid go about Mourinho’s request, especially given how they have largely been going all out to please him this summer. Nico Schlotterbeck is another option being closely linked with the club, but Bastoni is the chosen one.
Last season, the Inter Milan star made 28 league starts for his club and oversaw eight clean sheets. He averaged close to ten defensive actions and one key pass per game.
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.
