Real Madrid News
Real Madrid manager Mourinho likes €60 million-rated Portuguese defender – report
With Jose Mourinho at the helm of affairs, Real Madrid are carrying out a major defensive overhaul this summer.
Three new signings have already been made in the form of Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, and Marc Cucurella.
The Portuguese tactician wants to bring in another centre-back before the new season starts, with various names being linked.
Indeed, Nico Schlotterbeck of Borussia Dortmund, Tomas Araujo of SL Benfica, and Manchester City’s Ruben Dias have been touted as transfer targets. Now, a new name has been added to the list.
Mourinho likes Goncalo Inacio
According to journalist Ruben Martin of AS, Mourinho has added the name of Sporting CP and Portugal defender Goncalo Inacio to the list of potential targets for Real Madrid.
The 24-year-old is a left-footed central defender, a profile that the new manager likes, making him an option for this summer.
However, Inacio recently signed a new contract with Sporting CP last year, committing to the club until the summer of 2030, making the deal difficult to pull off.
The journalist claims that any move for the Portuguese international will cost around €60 million in the summer.
Should Real Madrid move for Inacio?
Inacio ticks a lot of boxes for Real Madrid – strong, physical, left-footed, and with his prime years ahead of him.
However, a fee of €60 million, which could rise further if more clubs enter the race, for the player might seem steep, especially considering that they will also need to spend heavy on the signing of a new central midfielder as well.
Someone like Schlotterbeck, who could cost lesser, thanks to the €50 million release clause in his new contract at Borussia Dortmund might be a more prudent option.
The German international is more experienced and would also add another leadership presence in the dressing room at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid News
Rayo Vallecano manager names the one Real Madrid figure he would remove from the team
Rayo Vallecano face a daunting trip to the Santiago Bernabeu to take on a wounded Real Madrid this weekend.
Life after Inigo Perez has not been kind to the Vallecas-based club, who have already had to travel to Camp Nou and now face a trip to the home of their city giants.
Speaking ahead of the game (h/t Madrid Xtra), Rayo Vallecano manager Benat San Jose was asked which Real Madrid player he would like to remove from the team before this weekend’s game.
Surprisingly, his choice was not Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior or Thibaut Courtois.
“Mourinho”
Asked which Madrid player he would take out of the upcoming contest, Benat jokingly chose the man sitting on the opposition bench.
“Which Real Madrid player I’d remove from the match against them? Mourinho,” Benat said with a laugh.
The answer might have been delivered jokingly, but the Rayo coach immediately made clear just how highly he rates the Portuguese manager.
“He’s one of the best managers in history,” he added.
It is significant praise ahead of Saturday’s meeting at the Bernabeu.
Madrid’s squad contains enough individual quality to give any opposition coach several obvious answers, but Benat instead highlighted the influence Mourinho can have over the entire team.
That has become particularly relevant since the Portuguese coach returned to Madrid. His early work has focused on making a talented group function with greater collective discipline.
Courtois and Madrid’s attack also praised
Benat did not stop with the manager.
“They also have one of the best GKs in history and one of the best attackers in history,” he said.
Benat will definitely have seen how Thibaut Courtois played against Inter Milan in midweek and will hope that version does not turn up again this weekend.
Even when teams manage to create opportunities against Madrid, they still have to beat one of the defining goalkeepers of his generation.
At the opposite end, Madrid possess attacking quality capable of turning a match on its head.
The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham can all decide matches single-handedly.
Madrid have a point to prove
Madrid are coming off a disappointing loss to Real Betis in La Liga last weekend and will come into this game with a point to prove.
They will want to ensure that the loss to the Andalusian club was a one-off and that they return to winning ways against Rayo.
Their title rivals, Barça, have been flying high in the league, scoring goals and picking opponents apart for fun.
Madrid need to ensure that they do not hand too much early incentive to Barça, and it remains to be seen how Los Blancos fare against Rayo Vallecano.
