Real Madrid News
Real Madrid face summer squad dilemma with four players staring at uncertain futures
Real Madrid have come out all guns blazing in the transfer market. The arrivals of Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konate have significantly strengthened Jose Mourinho’s squad, with further additions still expected.
Yan Diomandé is on the verge of joining the club, and Real Madrid have also accepted that signing Rodri represents the final major step in their summer rebuild.
However, that strategy comes with one unavoidable condition. Before making any further signings, the club must reduce the size of the squad, reports MARCA.
That is where the biggest challenge of the summer begins. While recruitment has progressed well, the sporting department now faces the more complicated task of overseeing departures.
Raul Asencio deemed surplus
The first player under consideration is Raul Asencio. At present, he is regarded as the most likely member of the squad to leave the club.
The Spanish defender has worked intensively during the off-season with the sole aim of convincing Mourinho that he deserves a place in the squad.
However, Mourinho has a different view. The manager believes signing another centre-back is a priority and feels the defensive unit requires restructuring to accommodate that addition.
As a result, Asencio has emerged as the leading candidate to depart, with the club evaluating several possible solutions.
Camavinga’s future under threat
The next major issue concerns the midfield, where Eduardo Camavinga’s future has become one of the most sensitive topics.
The French international continues to attract strong interest, particularly from Premier League clubs, and Real Madrid believe a significant transfer fee could make it much easier to complete the signing of the defensive midfielder Mourinho considers essential.
Camavinga is under contract until 2029, and has no intention of facilitating a move, and the club are equally unwilling to sell a player of his age and potential below market value.
Endrick and Mastantuono face uncertain futures
Moving to the attacking unit, with Mourinho now deciding to retain Gonzalo Garcia, that decision has immediate consequences for Endrick.
The Brazilian needs regular playing time to continue his development, yet competition in the attacking positions remains intense.
If circumstances do not change during pre-season, another loan move is becoming an increasingly realistic option to prevent his progress from stalling.
A similar discussion surrounds Franco Mastantuono. The Argentine has made an outstanding impression on Mourinho since arriving for pre-season training.
The club remain fully convinced that he has the potential to become a key figure at the Santiago Bernabeu for years to come. But, the idea of sending him on loan to a club where he can play consistently is being considered.
Real Madrid’s adventure so far under new coach Jose Mourinho has been far from perfect and this fact shouldn’t be lost even after the team’s brilliant comeback win over AS Roma in midweek.
However, there are areas where Los Blancos have shown a clear improvement under Mourinho, when compared to previous bosses such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
One of those areas has been set plays, with Real Madrid appearing far more potent from set pieces this season.
A clear improvement from last season
As reported by Diario AS, the three goals in Rome, all from Arda Guler corners inside a seven-minute blitz, were the perfect advert for the work being done at Valdebebas.
Those strikes took Real Madrid’s set-piece tally to seven goals in just ten matches this season. Four of them have come in La Liga, one from a corner and three from free kicks, with the trio in Rome completing the haul.
It is a striking figure when set against last season’s return. Under Alonso and Arbeloa, Madrid managed 12 set-piece goals across the entire campaign, all in La Liga, split evenly between six from corners and six from free kicks.
On current trends, this side looks well placed to surpass that number comfortably.
The reason behind Real Madrid’s improvement
Attacking set pieces are led at Valdebebas by Pedro Machado, with the whole coaching staff involved and Mourinho himself giving the final green light on every routine.
Defending them, meanwhile, falls to Sami Khedira, though it is treated as a collective effort. Mourinho’s appreciation of that teamwork was clear when Bellingham headed in a Guler free kick against Espanyol, prompting the manager to leap up and embrace his assistants.
Machado, one of Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenants, has followed him from Fenerbahce to Benfica and now Madrid, part of a backroom team blending experience with young, ambitious talent.
On the pitch, Guler is the undisputed master when available, his left foot the key weapon, with Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold and even Diomande also trusted to initiate attacks.
Such meticulous strategy has helped Real Madrid turn into a potent side from set-pieces this season.
