Real Madrid News
‘There’s no right or wrong choice’: National team manager opens up on Real Madrid target’s future
In recent days, Michael Olise of Bayern Munich has emerged as the top transfer target for Real Madrid heading into the summer.
After Florentino Perez made a bombshell announcement of him being ready to launch an €150 million offer for an unnamed player, it set the rumour mill abuzz.
Since then, multiple reliable sources have confirmed that the player that the Real Madrid president was talking about was Olise.
France coach on Olise’s future
Olise is currently with the France national team where he will be playing with two Real Madrid stars, Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni, at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
And, naturally, given all the speculations doing the rounds, France head coach Didier Deschamps was asked about the winger’s future heading into the summer.
In response, the 2018 FIFA World Cup-winning manager said (h/t iMiaSanMia): “He’ll know very well whether he wants to stay at Bayern Munich or if he needs a change of scenery. There’s no right or wrong choice.
“Obviously, if I were in Kompany’s or the Bayern president’s shoes, having him in the team and him staying at Bayern would be very, very good. I imagine he might also receive offers from other clubs.
“I’m not worried about him replicating what he does with Bayern or what he does with the French national team at other clubs. But if I say that, it doesn’t benefit Bayern”
Will Olise join Real Madrid?
Reports in Spain indicate that Olise is aware of the interest from Real Madrid and would be open to making the switch to the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, the former Crystal Palace does not intend to force a departure from Bayern Munich, whom he respects very much.
As for the Bavarians, their stance on the matter has been clear for a while now – they do not intend to sell Olise irrespective of the offer that is put in front of them.
So, it does complicate Perez and Real Madrid’s chances of signing the French international in the summer transfer window.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
