Real Madrid have just been through an unprecedented summer transfer window, with heavy traffic in both directions. Six new faces arrived. A raft of players departed, many of them graduates of the club’s famous academy, all part of an ambitious plan to rebuild the squad.
Diomande, Cucurella, Espí, Dumfries and Konaté all joined the ranks, alongside the standout deal: the signing of Portuguese star Bernardo Silva.
Yet the failure to land Rodri, seen as the cornerstone of the entire renewal project, cast a shadow over Valdebebas and left a nagging sense of unfinished business.
Mourinho points to the closure of the transfer window
José Mourinho’s words suggest the board intend to wrap up their business in the market. After the game against Ferencváros, the Portuguese confirmed he would work with a “compact” squad of just 20 first-team players.
On Bernardo Silva, Mourinho pinpointed one of the team’s biggest remaining weaknesses. “During the match I noticed his lack of the required physical strength, which prompted me to move him to the playmaker position, while I brought on the youngster Cestero to bolster stability in that role,” he said.
Two outstanding needs
Two vital areas still need strengthening. The first is defensive midfield. The second is central defence, ideally a left-footer, a need laid bare by the goal conceded against Ferencváros after a mix-up between Huijsen and Rüdiger.
Completing either deal, though, hinges on outgoings. Raúl Asencio looks the likeliest to leave in defence, but his injury has stalled the move that would have cleared the way for a more experienced signing. Chief among the targets is Bastoni, the Inter Milan centre-back and Mourinho’s preferred option.
Camavinga regains his sparkle
Midfield presents a thornier equation. Eduardo Camavinga was seen as the weakest link, but a striking display in Hungary rebuilt confidence in a player who took sharp criticism last season, not least after his catastrophic sending-off against Bayern Munich that helped send Madrid crashing out.
Mourinho insists on handing the Frenchman a fresh chance. The player has no wish to leave, and the club have not found a buyer willing to meet the asking price of more than 60 million euros.
Outstanding files
Several other issues remain tangled in these final days of the window. Thiago Pitarch’s future has stirred debate after he picked up an early injury on his return to training, and despite interest from Fulham, the plan is for him to stay.
Endrick, meanwhile, is refusing a second loan. Cería, who arrived from Sevilla’s reserve team last January, keeps catching the eye through pre-season, a promising option in the manager’s thinking.
The club moves cautiously
As the window nears its close, Real Madrid’s board will tread very carefully with any opportunity that surfaces. It mirrors the approach they took at the start of the season, an attempt to finish the rebuild without risking the team’s financial or technical stability.