Real Madrid News
Mourinho’s experiment with Real Madrid star vs Fiorentina shows his desire for a midfield playmaker – report
It has been a few weeks since Jose Mourinho started training the Real Madrid squad ahead of the new season, and the pre-season games have offered quite a bit of insight.
One clear pattern that Jose has been trying out during these games is playing both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries in the same line-up.
Mourinho lines up with the former as his right-back and the latter as his right-winger, giving them attacking impetus going forward and defensive solidity while retreating.
Trent, in particular, is said to have impressed the Portuguese tactician with the effort that he has put in during the off-period.
Now, according to AS, Mourinho has already started searching for more creativity in Real Madrid’s build-up play, using Trent as an inverted midfielder during the 2-2 pre-season draw against Fiorentina.
Trent becomes an extra midfielder
The England international was listed as a right-back on paper, but once Los Blancos had possession, he drifted inside to spray creative passes from midfield.
The tactical adjustment gave Real Madrid another passing option in the middle of the pitch. Defensively, he remained at right-back.
In possession, he stepped inside and positioned himself closer to Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, allowing him to see more forward passing lanes and play through Fiorentina’s pressure.
Mourinho’s intention became especially clear after Endrick’s opening goal. The coach called Trent over to the touchline and spent more than a minute giving him detailed instructions.
That level of direct coaching suggests the role was not improvised. Mourinho appears to see Trent’s distribution as a resource that can help Madrid control games more effectively.
Mourinho clearly wants more playmaking
The experiment also revealed something about the balance Mourinho believes his midfield still lacks.
Valverde and Camavinga offer energy, ball recovery and powerful carrying, but neither naturally controls possession in the same way as a specialist deep playmaker.
By moving Trent inside, Mourinho added a player capable of switching play, accelerating attacks and finding teammates between the lines.
It is yet another reminder of why the manager has been pushing personally for the club to sign Rodri from Manchester City.
The Spaniard would provide the positional control, rhythm and authority Mourinho wants at the base of the team. Until that operation is resolved, Trent offers a temporary internal solution.
An early insight into how Jose wants Trent to play
Even if Real Madrid eventually sign Rodri, Trent’s inverted role could remain useful.
His movement inside would allow Mourinho to create a midfield overload, free Valverde to make forward runs and give Rodri another technically secure partner during the first phase of possession.
Dumfries could then provide width from a more advanced position. However, this is a role that could come with sacrifices.
If Real Madrid lose possession when Trent is central and Dumfries is high and wide, the right flank is completely exposed for an opposition winger to run into.
Still, the Fiorentina match provided an early glimpse of how Mourinho is willing to experiment tactically, and it remains to be seen how he uses Trent in the long run.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid weighing up January move for €70 million-rated Arsenal midfielder – report
Real Madrid’s midfield is the one department where Jose Mourinho sees clear scope for improvement, especially given that the club did not sanction his wish for a top midfield signing in the summer.
While Bernardo Silva has chipped in as a handy option to feature in the deep midfield, the club still lacks a controlling and creative option who can glue the team together.
In that sense, there is a clear lacuna that Real Madrid need to address and Defensa Central brings to light that the club have opened up to a potential target.
Zubimendi emerges as a target
Indeed, the player in question is Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi who the club have seen as a target for a long time, and Real Madrid could even go on to sign him in January.
The Spanish international has not started off the new season well under Mikel Arteta and has primarily featured as a substitute. He does, thus, see a move to Madrid with good eyes in every sense.
Real Madrid, for their part, have not ruled out his signing as was reported in recent months and there is even a chance they seriously pursue him in the winter transfer window as a mid-season fix.
The possible fee
The Spanish outlet also add that Zubimendi’s move to Real Madrid could be completed for a fee similar to what Arsenal paid for the player for his transfer from Real Sociedad – €70 million.
Mourinho’s insistence on making a new midfield signing is no secret, and with a clear target now in mind, the board could well back him with the player he wishes.
Notably, however, even Chelsea are seriously interested in his signing.
So far, Federico Valverde has been Real Madrid’s mainstay in midfield, and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return will change the team’s dynamics in the department.
Neither player, however, offers the control and distribution skill set that the team direly lack.
A big part of whether or not the club pushes for Zubimendi, however, will depend on how the Valverde-Tchouameni combination plays out in the coming months. It is, after all, the manager’s first-choice combination for big games.
