Real Madrid News
Report: Mourinho ‘won’t start’ Valverde and Tchouameni together regularly at Real Madrid
Jose Mourinho may have a difficult midfield decision to make at Real Madrid this season, with journalist Ramon Alvarez de Mon questioning whether Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni can regularly start together under the Portuguese coach.
Both players have been important members of Real Madrid’s midfield in recent seasons, but Mourinho’s ideas and the options now available to him could change the balance.
Ramon Alvarez de Mon believes Valverde currently has the advantage in Mourinho’s thinking.
He states that the midfielder was identified by the coach as one of the players he considered essential to his plans when discussions about his return to the Santiago Bernabéu were taking place.
“Valverde and Tchouameni won’t be starting together in most matches,” Ramón de Mon said, as reported by Defensa Central.
Mourinho has already made his preference clear
The key to understanding the situation appears to be the conversations that took place while Madrid were planning Mourinho’s return.
According to the journalist, Mourinho had already informed the club that there were certain players he did not want to lose and Valverde was among them.
Tchouameni, by contrast, was not included in that group.
However, that does not mean the French midfielder has been discarded. Far from it. His position at the club has actually become considerably more secure during the summer.
Tchouameni remains part of Mourinho’s plans
Despite transfer speculation surrounding his future this summer, Real Madrid ultimately decided against selling Tchouameni.
In fact, the club went a step further by renewing the midfielder’s contract until 2031.
For now, Tchouameni may not be viewed as indispensable in the same way as Valverde, but Real Madrid clearly still see considerable value in the French international.
Understandably so, Mourinho has several different profiles available in midfield, meaning he does not necessarily have to select the same combination every week.
That could make the Valverde-Tchouameni partnership more dependent on the opponent, match situation and Mourinho’s tactical demands.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid superstar’s summer contract renewal saga compared to a romantic movie: ‘We know how the movie will end’
Vinicius Junior’s contract renewal with Real Madrid was one of the club’s biggest stories of the summer.
Months of uncertainty eventually ended in a long-term agreement that keeps the Brazilian at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2032.
At one point, it looked like the prospect of the Brazilian leaving the Santiago Bernabeu this summer was a realistic possibility.
However, as quoted by MARCA, Thiago Freitas, operations director at Roc Nation, has compared the entire saga to a romantic film with a happy ending.
Vinicius renewal was far from straightforward
Freitas explained that the negotiations were handled by Roc Nation executive Federico Pena and admitted that reaching the final agreement required patience from everyone involved.
“This operation between Vini and Real Madrid was like a trilogy of romance movies,” Freitas said.
“Throughout the movies there are conflicts, there are issues, there are some obstacles. But we all know how the movie will end: with a big kiss and everyone happy,” he added.
There was plenty of speculation around Vinicius while negotiations continued, particularly as the process stretched across the summer.
However, Freitas made it clear that the Brazilian’s preference was always to continue at Real Madrid rather than look for an exit.
“You only have to remember the history of all the players who have passed through Madrid in the last 20 or 30 years. None of them wanted to leave,” he said.
That is an important point for Madrid supporters. The difficulty appears to have been reaching an agreement that satisfied both sides, rather than convincing Vinicius that his future belonged at the club.
Jose Mourinho now has certainty
For Jose Mourinho, the first few weeks were spent in uncertainty over whether Vinicius would be part of his project at the club.
The Portuguese tactician has always been a vocal advocate of keeping the Brazilian and was said to have been a driving factor in the contract negotiations.
Ultimately, as Freitas put it, everything ended in a big hug and a kiss between Vinicius and Real Madrid. It meant that everyone, except Arsenal were happy.
It remains to be seen whether the 26-year-old can now repay the club and Mourinho’s faith in him, and return to his best level this season and beyond.
