Real Madrid News
Real Madrid set one condition for the signing of new midfielder this summer
Real Madrid are not planning to sign another midfielder this summer unless one of their current players leaves, despite missing out on their priority target Rodri.
According to The Athletic, the club’s current stance is that the squad is complete.
Real Madrid already have seven midfielders competing for three positions in Jose Mourinho’s system, leaving the club reluctant to add another player without creating space first.
It must be remembered that Mourinho made his desire for a creative midfielder clear from his first meeting with the club, and Real Madrid responded by signing Bernardo Silva.
However, the club’s transfer plans in midfield now appear to be on hold.
Even though the situation could still change if a player leaves before the window closes, with no member of the current squad actively pushing for an exit, Real Madrid are facing a difficult situation.
Seven midfielders for three key roles
Mourinho’s expected 4-2-3-1 formation includes three central midfield positions: two deeper roles and one attacking playmaker.
Real Madrid believe they already have enough depth to cover those positions, with seven midfielders offering different profiles and tactical qualities.
The squad includes players capable of providing energy, defensive cover, creativity and attacking threat.
Jude Bellingham, for example, offers a direct presence in and around the penalty area, while Bernardo Silva was brought in to provide the creative quality Mourinho wanted.
Notably, the club have also experimented with other solutions during pre-season, with Trent Alexander-Arnold being used in midfield during certain phases of play when Real Madrid have possession.
The role is not unfamiliar to him, although it is unlikely to become his primary position under Mourinho.
Understandably so, the club’s view is that there are at least two players capable of covering every position within the 25-man squad and that depth is one of the main reasons why a new midfielder is not expected.
Rodri miss does not change transfer plans
Real Madrid had explored the possibility of strengthening their midfield further, with Rodri among the players of interest.
However, the Spanish midfielder now appears more likely to join Barcelona, leaving Real Madrid without one of their key targets.
Even so, the club is not expected to rush into the market for a replacement.
According to the report, Real Madrid’s position is clear: there will be no new midfield signing unless departures create room in the squad.
That could prove difficult because no current player is reportedly looking to leave.
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.
