Real Madrid News
Mourinho warns Real Madrid dressing room nobody is untouchable anymore – report
According to reports from AS (h/t Madrid Xtra), incoming Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has informed club president Florentino Perez that reputation alone will no longer guarantee playing time for any player under his command.
The report claims Mourinho has warned the club hierarchy that no player should be considered untouchable regardless of status, popularity or transfer value.
Instead, the Portuguese manager wants a squad built entirely around effort, discipline and competitive mentality.
Mourinho has already informed Perez that if players fail to match the required intensity physically and mentally, they simply will not feature in his team.
In simple terms, Mourinho’s message is that players must run, fight and fully commit on the pitch or they will not play.
Agreement soon
It must be noted that the agreement between Real Madrid and Mourinho is believed to be practically complete already.
Both sides have settled the major details involving salary and contract length, with only the official signature and presentation still pending.
However, Mourinho’s demands appear to go beyond transfer targets or tactical ideas.
He wants total authority to rebuild the dressing room culture after what many inside the club consider one of the most chaotic seasons in recent memory.
Mourinho targets dressing room ego
One of the learnings from Real Madrid’s 2025/26 season has been the growing influence of individual egos inside the squad.
One example reportedly involved Xabi Alonso and Vinicius Jr. earlier in the season.
Alonso’s decision to substitute the Brazilian during the first El Clasico created significant tension, with the relationship between player and coach deteriorating afterwards.
The situation surrounding Kylian Mbappe also generated major discussion after the French superstar publicly expressed frustration about his role under Alvaro Arbeloa.
Those moments convinced several figures within Real Madrid that the squad had become too difficult to manage through soft leadership alone and that is precisely why Mourinho’s arrival is being viewed as such an important reset.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
