Real Madrid News
Mourinho’s two conditions to return to Real Madrid as talks reach advanced stage
Real Madrid find themselves in a dire situation after being battered by FC Barcelona last night, which meant the Catalans were crowned La Liga champions after winning El Clasico at the Spotify Camp Nou.
Changes are incoming within the club, with Florentino Perez looking to shake things up after two seasons with a major trophy and the utter turmoil in the dressing room.
Jose Mourinho, to that end, has emerged as the frontrunner to become the next Real Madrid manager, replacing Alvaro Arbeloa, who will vacate his post at the end of the season.
Talks advanced between Perez and Jorge Mendes
Providing an update on the situation, journalist Ben Jacobs reports that talks are now at an advanced stage between Perez and Mourinho’s agent, Jorge Mendes.
This is despite the current SL Benfica head coach publicly denying that he has had any approach from Real Madrid so far.
Perez is the driving force behind the search for a new manager and sees Mourinho as the ideal candidate as he hopes to bring in a cultural shift at Real Madrid.
Talks are advanced between the two camps and more meetings are scheduled this week to try and finalise the Portuguese’s homecoming.
Mourinho’s two conditions to return
Meanwhile, an alternate report from AS states that Mourinho has already analysed the situation at Real Madrid and set out two key conditions for taking the job.
The first relates to having a say in transfer planning. Not necessarily naming specific players, but influencing which positions the squad needs to strengthen. His reading of the current squad is that it is unbalanced in several areas.
The second condition relates to the club’s internal structure. Mourinho is not focused on changing the entire hierarchy, but he does want strict respect for roles and clear authority within the first-team environment.
In his view, the head coach must have full control of the dressing room without interference. The aim is to avoid situations like those experienced this season with Vinicius Jr. and Xabi Alonso – situations that could destabilize the squad and hinder performance.
From next weekend, Real Madrid will have a ten-day window to activate his release clause, understood to be around €3 million, allowing him to leave Benfica after their final match of the season.
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.
