Mourinho’s priority at Real Madrid is a box-to-box midfielder | OneFootball

Real Madrid are pushing through a sweeping rebuild under Mourinho after two seasons without major silverware, targeting specific profiles to refresh the spine. The attack built around Bellingham, Vinicius and Mbappé is expected to remain largely untouched.

On Saturday the club issued a statement denying any interest in Bayern’s Michael Olise, saying there had been no direct or indirect contact, while emphasising its excellent institutional relationship with the German side.

The market focus is a left-footed centre-back and a box-to-box midfielder, sought for immediate impact as with Cucurella and Bernardo Silva. Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck fits, renewed to 2031 and with a clause of about 60 million for certain clubs, a group said to include Real Madrid.

Konaté’s arrival has eased the defensive strain after Militao’s injuries, Rüdiger’s workload and pressure on Huijsen, but midfield power is now the priority. A pure creator is not the brief after Kroos, with Bernardo Silva able to start moves alongside Tchouaméni.

Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes are leading candidates. Enzo has publicly expressed a wish to live in Madrid, and he was signed for 120 million and is tied to 2032 at a club outside Europe.

Relegated West Ham want 80 million for Mateus, who is under contract to 2030. Madrid’s exits are largely on hold, so a major sale would be needed for a box-to-box, though Camavinga, like team-mates, is not considering leaving.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo