Jose Mourinho Demands More Signings for Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s summer has already been loud. Mourinho wants it deafening.

Four deals are done: Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella and Bernardo Silva have all agreed to join the European champions, their arrivals delayed only by World Cup duty. Many clubs would call that a window. Mourinho calls it a start.

The head coach has told the hierarchy at the Santiago Bernabéu that he expects at least two more signings, according to Marca. Not squad padding. Core pieces.

He wants another centre-back to stand alongside Konaté. And he wants a midfielder in the Luka Modric mould – someone who can dictate, create, and control the rhythm of games from deep as the Croatian great reaches the final stretch of his career.

Clear profile, clear names

Mourinho has not just outlined positions. He has delivered a shortlist.

In defence, he has asked for either Alessandro Bastoni or Nico Schlotterbeck. Both are left-footed, progressive centre-backs comfortable defending high and building from the back, the kind of profile that would complement Konaté’s power and recovery pace.

There is a complication. Schlotterbeck, widely discussed in recent weeks as a realistic option, has been ruled out for six to eight weeks with injury. That lay-off threatens to derail any immediate move to the Bernabéu and could nudge Bastoni up the internal pecking order, even if no firm preference has yet been established.

In midfield, Mourinho’s gaze is fixed on Enzo Fernandez or Mateus Fernandes. The Portuguese coach views either as the ideal addition to reshape his engine room, but the market reality is different for each.

Enzo, tied to Chelsea and still a centrepiece of their project, is believed to be the favoured option. A deal, though, is not close. The operation would be complex and expensive, and there is no sign yet of an imminent breakthrough. Mateus Fernandes, meanwhile, represents an alternative route to that Modric-style profile Mourinho craves.

Mourinho’s imprint on the rebuild

This is not a passive rebuild overseen from the directors’ box. Mourinho has already played a decisive role in the captures of Konaté, Dumfries, Cucurella and Bernardo Silva, shaping the squad in his own image: physically strong, tactically flexible, and experienced at the highest level.

He intends to wield the same influence over the next arrivals. The message from the bench to the boardroom is blunt: the squad is stronger, but not finished.

Real Madrid’s summer business is already one of the stories of the window. With Mourinho pushing for a dominant centre-back and a new heartbeat in midfield before the market closes, the real question is not whether the club will move again – but how far they are prepared to go to match the manager’s demands.