Mourinho eyes former Manchester United protege to bolster Real Madrid midfield – report | OneFootball

Seldom has a Real Madrid manager in the past who has had as much control over new signings as Jose Mourinho currently enjoys.

Florentino Perez and Co. completely trust the new manager given his record and experience and have handed him the freedom to dictate Real Madrid’s transfer moves.

The coach, on that front, has already changed the squad to his liking and has significantly strengthened the defence. The midfield, however, remains a department where the manager still insists on new signings.

A former disciple linked

As reported by Defensa Central, Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay is a player the manager highly rates and is considering as an option for the club.

Mourinho likes McTominay. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)

The player worked with Mourinho during his time at Manchester United in the past and the Portuguese tactician rates the player very highly. He has even made his admiration of the player known to the club administration.

Real Madrid, however, are yet to make an official move for McTominay. Given their faith in Mourinho, there is no reason to believe they will not attempt to sign the former Manchester United star.

A favourable economic situation

Real Madrid have been linked with several top midfielders in recent months including the likes of Joao Neves, Vitinha and Rodri. All the players they have been interested in, however, are rated highly globally and come attached with massive price tags.

McTominay’s situation, however, is different. The player is currently off the radar of most top clubs and will likely be available for a relatively modest sum of around €40 million.

McTominay could be an affordable option for Real Madrid. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Given the club’s desire to make a big-money defensive signing still and the complicated departure scenario, the Napoli star thus appears to be an ideal target for Los Blancos.

Everything, however, will again depend on how soon the club can complete a major departure from midfield. Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde have all been linked with exits, but the former seems most likely to leave the club.

Last season, the Scottish international made 33 league appearances including 31 starts for Napoli and racked up ten goals and three assists to his name. He also averaged 3.1 shots and 0.7 key passes per game.