With the culmination of the summer transfer window a couple of weeks ago, La Liga has officially announced the salary cap for the teams in the first and second divisions of Spanish football for the 2026/27 season.
And, once again, Real Madrid have the highest salary cap, at €832 million, increasing from €761 million which was set in the summer of last year, setting a new record.
The salary limit is the maximum amount that the club can spend during the season after the operations carried out in the summer.
It includes the expenditure on players, the manager, and the coaching staff, along with the expenses on the reserve team, the youth academy, and the other sporting areas.
Real Madrid splurged the cash on six new signings this summer, bringing in Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Carlos Espi, and Marc Cucurella.

#diomande

The second half of Real Madrid's summer transfer window was headlined by Jose Mourinho's incessant demands for a second centre-back signing.
While the club did sign Ibrahima Konate in the summer, the new manager saw a real need for a second starting-quality central defender, especially given Eder Militao's uncertain fitness and Antonio Rudiger's age.
One of the players who Mourinho saw as a top target, on that front, was Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni who will play at the Santiago Bernabeu later today in the first game week of the UEFA Champions League.
In a recent update, Diario AS confirm the reasons why Real Madrid did not end up signing Bastoni this summer despite the player being Mourinho's top target.
For starters, Inter Milan refused to let the player leave this summer for even a dime less than €70 million, and even the player was in no hurry to leave the club.

#player #bastoni #target

Real Madrid will take on Malaga CF in a little over an hour in Matchday 3 of the 2026/27 La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having started the new campaign with back-to-back wins over RCD Espanyol and Real Sociedad under new manager Jose Mourinho, the Merengues will be eager to maintain their strong start.
With kickoff not far away, Mourinho has announced the Real Madrid starting lineup that will take the field against the newly-promoted La Liga club today at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having fielded the same starting XI for the first two games, the Real Madrid boss has opted to make some changes to the team today.
Three of the changes come in defence, where Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, and Marc Cucurella all start, replacing Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, and Alvaro Carreras, respectively.

#back #start

According to MARCA, Real Madrid veteran defender Antonio Rudiger has a strong chance of starting later today when the team take on Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu.
After Germany were eliminated in the first knockout round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on penalties against Paraguay, the senior centre-back went on holiday early. That allowed him to be involved in Mourinho's plans from the very beginning.
Yet, with the third league matchday approaching, he remains the only fit first-team outfield player, aside from the seven injured players, who has yet to feature.
Aware of the importance of making a strong start, the Portuguese tactician has wanted the centre of his defence to be a position of strength.
As a result, Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen started both the matches against RCD Espanyol and Real Sociedad.

#real #team

Real Madrid has already finalized its squad list for tomorrow's match against Málaga CF at the Bernabéu. Los Blancos will be looking to claim three more points in front of their fans in a key league fixture to keep pace at the top of the table.
For this match, coach José Mourinho has decided not to make any changes from the previous outing. The Portuguese manager is backing the same core group that featured in the last matchday against Real Sociedad.
In goal, Thibaut Courtois leads the list of goalkeepers, alongside Andriy Lunin and the young Javi Navarro, perhaps the only switch in the squad. In defense, there is once again a strong list of defenders, featuring names such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté, Antonio Rüdiger and Marc Cucurella.
Meanwhile, midfield will retain its usual blend of strength and creativity with players of the caliber of Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Bernardo Silva. They are joined by Arda Güler, Cestero and Alexis Ciria, offering further options to Madrid's setup.
In attack, firepower is guaranteed with the presence of Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappé leading the line. The attacking call-up is completed by Brahim Díaz, C. Espí and Yan Diomande, all ready to provide energy from the bench.

#squad #blancos #sociedad

Rangers remain in talks with Brighton and Hove Albion for winger Amario Cozier-Duberry after a previous bid was rejected. (Rangers Review)
Celtic have agreed a deal for Hajduk Split and Canada midfielder Niko Sigur. (Lukasz Gikiewicz on X)
Although Genk have emerged as late contenders for Sigur's signature and have bid €4m. (24 Sata - in Croatian)
Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, 33, is a target for Celtic. (Daily Mail)
Rangers have identified Rodez striker Ibrahima Balde as a target to bolster their striking options. (Sacha Tavolieri on X)

#cozier

Real Madrid appear increasingly likely to finish the summer transfer window without another signing, with club director Emilio Butragueño reinforcing Jose Mourinho's message that the current squad is effectively complete.
Los Blancos have already been among the busiest clubs of the summer.
Six new players, namely Yan Diomande, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté and Carlos Espi, have arrived to reinforce Mourinho's options.
That activity has left Real Madrid with a crowded squad, and the challenge now is not finding another player in the transfer market but creating room for one.
The problem is that no member of the current group is keen to leave.

#summer

Jose Mourinho is beginning to form a clearer picture of his preferred Real Madrid defence, with the Portuguese coach reportedly identifying the back four that currently gives him the greatest sense of security.
According to Defensa Central, Mourinho's conclusions have evolved as the weeks and early matches of the season have progressed.
While the Real Madrid manager remains aware that his team has defensive issues to address, he is already looking towards the combination he could trust for the biggest matches ahead.
As things stand, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen and Marc Cucurella are believed to be the four defenders leading the race for those positions.
Dumfries has made the strongest case at right-back, with the Dutchman beginning to pull ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold in the battle for a starting role.

#real #beginning #jose

Real Madrid put Real Sociedad away 4-1 in their first match at the Bernabeu this season. A hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe, along with a goal from Vinicius Junior, made sure that Jose Mourinho's return to the stadium was not spoiled.
This is not meant to be a diss.
One of Dean Huijsen's biggest criticisms from last season was his tendency to always find a spectacular pass. He was always diabolically vertical with his passes, regardless of whether they made any sense. He looked to always be positive with his actions — sometimes too positive, and that hurt Real Madrid on many occasions.
Things would be going well, and the team would be in a position where they needed to keep the ball. Instead of playing the easy pass, Huijsen would always try to find an attacker who was never expecting a pass in the first place.
Against Real Sociedad, and also against Espanyol, things looked more 'boring' and standard and less chaotic with Huijsen. The Spanish International had a 96% pass completion rate on 72 attempts, as he played a lot of sideways passes to Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konate.

#always #pass #first #made

Liverpool's fanbase haven't been the biggest supporters of Richard Hughes' transfer business this season.
Before the campaign even kicked off, everyone knew that the Reds needed another rebuild.
Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson all exited the club for free and, with Curtis Jones now also gone, there are so many gaps that the Reds still need to plug.
Of course, Andoni Iraola can make do with what he has at his disposal but, if Fenway Sports Group are wanting Liverpool to get back to the top, plenty more money needs to be spent.
However, there have been some transfers that Liverpool haven't managed to get over the line that could actually end up being good for them.

#konate

While all eyes from Liverpool fans will be on prospective incomings during the final week of the summer transfer window, there could also be several players leaving Anfield over the coming days.
Kopites bade an emotional farewell to Mo Salah and Andy Robertson on the final day of last season, with Ibrahima Konate also departing on a free transfer in subsequent weeks, and Curtis Jones completed his move to Inter Milan over the past few days.
Young talents like Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Kieran Morrison have departed on loan, and a few more could be following them out the door between now and the deadline next Tuesday.
In the latest Transfer DealSheet for The Athletic, which was published this morning, James Pearce ****** sed which players could viably leave Liverpool over the coming week.
He wrote that 'the future is uncertain' for Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott after both were omitted from Andoni Iraola's matchday squad for the 2-2 draw at Newcastle on Sunday, having also stated after the game on Tyneside that 'it would be no surprise' if that duo were to depart.

#final #kopites

Carlos Espi is arguably the least notable signing made by Real Madrid this summer, and he is definitely the "smallest" name when compared to the likes of Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konate. However, he made the biggest impact during Los Blancos' 2-1 victory over Espanyol on Saturday, as he scored the winning goal in the 90th minute.
As per MD, Espi was asked about that moment when he spoke at his presentation on Sunday, as he admitted that he struggled to sleep due to the adrenaline of the moment.
"We arrived home at 3am and between messages and that euphoria that I had on top of me, I slept very little because, in addition, I woke up wanting to come here. The truth is that I have slept very little. It was a very beautiful moment, we all had a lot of desire, a lot of euphoria. When I scored they were all there in the corner, it was incredible that they were all with me, they were all happy for me and I am proud that the Real Madrid players are very happy for me."
Espi also spoke on making the move to Real Madrid earlier this summer, which is something that he is very proud of.
"It's a source of pride. I'm very happy for my family and for myself and I'm going to give my all for this club. It's very impressive to see the 15 Champions Leagues, I'm very happy. It's impressive, they take care of every detail. On a football level they are the best in the world. The facilities, the Bernabéu, when I went to the Bernabéu it was incredible. I would say practically everything."

#espi #real #bernab #spoke

Real Madrid kicked off their new campaign with a win last night against Espanyol, but it was anything but comfortable.
Jose Mourinho's side were made to suffer in Barcelona against a spirited Espanyol side who came out all guns blazing to punish Los Blancos' shaky defence.
It was a special night in some senses as the likes of Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva, Carlos Espi and Ibrahima Konate all made their official debuts.
Yet, it was also a night that showed that there is still a long way to go before Mourinho's effects can be seen in the squad. After all, there was not much to celebrate on the night beyond the debuts and a few solid showings.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid.

#blancos

A significantly changed and reinforced Real Madrid team is set to go into the 2026-27 season tomorrow, as they will play their first La Liga game of the new season, against Espanyol, at the RCDE Stadium.
The Merengue fans will be very excited to see their team in action for this game, especially the new players. Real Madrid, who have already announced their squad for this game, have named all the new signings, Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva, Carlos Espi, and Yan Diomande in the list of players who will travel to Barcelona for this match.
However, it remains to be seen which of these players will actually play the game. The likes of Cucurella and Konate are less likely to start, as they returned from their holidays quite late, and have trained under Jose Mourinho for only a few days. Others like Bernardo Silva, Dumfries, and Espi have already played quite a few minutes during the preseason.
Meanwhile, there are two notable absences from the list. One of these is Aurelien Tchouameni, who continues to recover from his physical problem and has started training with the group, but Mourinho has not called him up for this game as he does not want to take any risks with him. The other is Endrick, who is out with a minor muscle injury, as the Portuguese coach confirmed in his presser.
Defenders:

#real #cucurella #dumfries #silva

Rewind a few weeks and Liverpool were facing a centre-back crisis.
Virgil van Dijk didn't travel for the preseason tour to the United States leaving head coach Andoni Iraola with a dearth of viable options.
Jeremy Jacquet was still struggling with injury - along with Giovanni Leoni - while Joe Gomez's injury on tour added to the problems.
With Ibrahima Konate departed for Real Madrid we saw Mor Talla Ndiaye, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and even Luke Chambers all entrusted with starting duties.
Given Ndukwe wouldn't be eligible for the season ahead owing to visa issues this was a far from ideal scenario. But the picture has eased somewhat since then.

#ndukwe #Liverpool #dijk #andoni

The transfer market is entering its final days packed with key moves among Europe's biggest clubs. Official unveilings, ultimatums in the boardrooms, and the arrival of goals in LaLiga define a day in which the ambition of the new signings promises to shake up the football landscape.
Real Madrid's new player spoke in an interview with SportyTV. The Ivorian footballer did not hide his desire to succeed under the club's banner, delivering a strong message: "I will give everything on the pitch and God will do the rest". He also described himself as a "soldier of Mourinho" and made it clear that when the Madrid club calls you, there can be no hesitation.
After Atlético de Madrid's definitive "no" to negotiating the transfer of Julián Álvarez, FC Barcelona's sporting management has activated Plan B. Lautaro Martínez has emerged as the top priority to strengthen the Blaugrana attack. In the Barça offices, they see a deal with Inter Milan as feasible for a fee below 100 million euros.
It was a day of debuts in the capital and in Barcelona. Ibrahima Konaté wore the Real Madrid shirt for the first time, expressing his dream of "winning the Champions League." Meanwhile, Barça officially unveiled João Cancelo, who signed his contract until 2029, saying he is ready to compete immediately.
On the pitch, Getafe took a giant step by beating Partizan Belgrade 3-1 in the first leg of the Conference League qualifying round. The Madrid side are now well on course for a place in the final stage of the European tournament after an outstanding performance in front of their fans.

#final

Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate also left L4 and, while their absences will certainly have an impact on the way that the Reds play, neither of them made as much of a difference as Salah.
The Egyptian King has been the Reds' main attacking outlet since he joined the club in 2027 with his performance in the 2024-25 season the best of his career so far.
However, due to multiple fall outs with Arne Slot and the Dutchman not playing to the 33 years old's strengths, his situation in Liverpool became untenable which is why he chose to terminate his contract a year early.
Most fans though that sourcing Salah's replacement would be the Reds' main priority but, after Yan Diomande chose Real Madrid over Liverpool, they've just focused everything on Bradley Barcola who's still nowhere near becoming a Liverpool player yet.
This has led to many other wingers being linked with an Anfield move and now, one of Liverpool's options could be about to be taken away from them.

#chose

Andoni Iraola will not get what he wants. Liverpool have rejected his wish in the transfer market.
Andoni Iraola is the new head coach at Liverpool but we can't imagine he's thrilled with the start to life in the transfer market. The club haven't addressed many of the issues that plagued them last season, nor the new issues brought about this summer.
Mohamed Salah's exit, for instance, remains unaddressed. Liverpool desperately need to find some sort of goal output from wide areas or they'll sorely miss his 12 goals and **** ists from even a sub-par season.
A loan move for Ronald Araújo at least puts off the decision on replacing Ibrahima Konaté for another year, but there also hasn't been any sign that Liverpool will find extra goals to make up for Hugo Ekitiké's long-term injury.
And then there's whatever's happening in midfield. The middle of the pitch wasn't well-balanced last season and many **** umed it would be addressed this summer.

#market

Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho has identified two areas in his squad as being short on numbers heading into the new campaign. That's according to The Athletic, who have this week provided an insight into the latest ongoings behind the scenes in the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid have of course been busy on the transfer front across the summer to date. Amid ongoing efforts to close the gap on arch rivals Barcelona, Los Blancos have reinforced the club's first-team ranks courtesy of six signings.
All of Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konaté, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Yan Diomandé and Carlos Espí have put pen to paper on terms at Valdebebas over the last couple of months.
As alluded to above, though, the incoming José Mourinho is of the opinion that his squad still features a couple of holes on the depth front. As per a report from The Athletic:
'Mourinho is keen on adding another centre-back and a midfielder, so Madrid are keeping an eye on various positions and players.'

#madrid #real #Athletic

View Link
On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Matt Wiltse discuss:
Trent Alexander-Arnold + Ibrahima Konate partnership
Arda Güler and Jude Bellingham
Schalke's high line

#wiltse

Ibrahima Konate has barely arrived at Real Madrid, but circumstances could already hand him one of the biggest opportunities available to a new signing: a place in the starting XI for the opening La Liga match against Espanyol.
According to AS, injuries to Eder Militao and Raul Asencio have left Jose Mourinho with limited options at the heart of the defence.
Konate's arrival, therefore, comes at a particularly useful moment for the club.
The Frenchman completed his first training session with his new teammates on Monday and arrived in excellent physical condition.
That immediately puts him in contention for the trip to Espanyol, especially with further uncertainty surrounding Dean Huijsen.

#espanyol #arrived #konate #according

The brass at Real Madrid have been responsible for the best part of half of the spending on the transfer market in Spain's top-flight across the summer to date.
This of course comes as Florentino Pérez and co. continue work towards building a squad capable of wrestling back La Liga supremacy from arch rivals Barcelona this coming season.
Los Blancos, thus far this summer, have secured the signings of six players. Two have come in the form of free transfers, namely Ibrahima Konaté and Bernardo Silva.
The other four, though, have required those in a position of power at the Santiago Bernabéu to open their chequebook.
To tie up deals for Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomandé and Carlos Espí, Real Madrid have been forced to part with a collective €225 million. And as since revealed by Spanish outlet Diario AS, putting this outlay into perspective:

#summer #florentino #blancos

Real Madrid are set to play their final friendly game of the preseason tomorrow when they will travel to Germany to face Schalke 04. This match has been hosted by the German side on the 25th anniversary of their stadium, the Veltins-Arena.
As Diario AS has reported, the Merengues have published the squad for this game, and there are significant changes in the list over the last friendly played against Deportivo. The most notable addition is that of Yan Diomande, who is now the most expensive signing in the history of Real Madrid, while other new signings like Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konate have also been named in the squad for the first time.
Three other important players, Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe have also been named in the squad for the first time this summer, as they returned to the Merengue club quite late after going quite advanced into the World Cup, and thus starting and ending their holidays late.
Another important player who still remains absent and who would not be able to participate in even a single friendly this summer is the midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. He is suffering from a serious thigh strain and thus is unavailable for this match. Similarly, Endrick has also not been named in this list as he is following a special injury prevention plan.
This last friendly will be an opportunity for Jose Mourinho to field his strongest attack, with Vinicius, Mbappe, and Diomande all available, and also his defense for the next season, as Cucurella and Konate will be available to play.

#named #real #madrid #diomande

Liverpool's first pre-season under new boss Andoni Iraola has not been without its challenges - but one reason for optimism is the emergence of 18-year-old defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe.
Iraola's side are short of numbers in central defence, so Austrian teenager Ndukwe has been handed more minutes than even he might have expected.
With two lots of 90 minutes and an 80-minute display already under his belt, Ndukwe was handed a start alongside captain Virgil van Dijk against Monaco at Anfield on Sunday.
And it didn't take long for the imposing 6ft 6in (1.98m) youngster to draw gasps from the crowd after a neat backheel to wrong-foot Monaco's Mika Biereth, before winning important defensive duels.
After the departure of France international Ibrahima Konate, it remains unclear who will partner Van Dijk in Liverpool's opening Premier League game against Newcastle.

#minutes #ifeanyi #austrian

Real Madrid returned to training at Valdebebas on Monday as José Mourinho's squad continued preparations for Wednesday's Teresa Herrera Trophy clash against Deportivo La Coruña.
The session came after Madrid's friendly victory over Ferencvaros and included several notable additions to Mourinho's group.
Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konaté completed their first training session as Real Madrid players, while Kylian Mbappé returned to the team following his participation at the World Cup.
Ousmane Diomande and Thibaut Courtois also trained with the group after working individually in recent days. Diomande had spent his first few days at Real Madrid City training separately after completing his move from RB Leipzig last week, making Monday his first opportunity to work alongside his new teammates.
Aurélien Tchouaméni also began his preseason work on Monday, although the French midfielder trained indoors.

#training

An insight into the financial details of the agreement reached between Spanish champions Barcelona and Premier League heavyweights Liverpool over Ronald Araújo has come to the fore online.
This of course comes as the defender prepares to take his talents to Merseyside for the season ahead.
Completely out of the blue, word was forthcoming on Friday evening that the Liverpool brass had found an accord with their Barcelona counterparts, over a surprise deal for Araújo.
After another challenging campaign on an individual level in 2025/26, the Uruguayan has made the call to depart Catalunya's capital on loan, through the summer of 2027.
At this point, Liverpool – on the lookout for a long-term replacement for Ibrahima Konaté – will have the option to make the signing a permanent one.

#spanish

Jose Mourinho has been backed well by the board in the ongoing summer transfer window with the administration doing everything in their power to bring the players he demands home.
In that sense, the manager now has a revamped defence and a far more potent attack compared to last season, and virtually has no excuses to underperform in the upcoming season.
Two positions that he requested signings in, however, could not be completed by the board – the defensive midfield and that of a second starting-quality centre-back. While word has it that Real Madrid will not make any more signings, the manager is still pushing for the recruitments.
According to a recent update by reporter Miguel Serrano, Mourinho is insisting on Real Madrid signing a new left-footed centre-back this summer. He has already signed Ibrahima Konate for the defence but wants a second addition in the department.
Mourinho wants a left-footed centre-back. (Picture credit: X/realmadrid)

#madrid

Liverpool have agreed a season-long loan deal to sign Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo as Andoni Iraola moves to address his shortage of defensive options.
The 27-year-old Uruguay international is set to provide cover at centre-back and right-back, with Liverpool facing a number of injury problems across their defence.
According to The Athletic, Araujo's versatility is particularly valuable to Liverpool, with Conor Bradley expected to miss the opening months of the season with a knee injury. Joe Gomez is also recovering from a muscular problem, while Giovanni Leoni remains sidelined following an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Ibrahima Konate left Liverpool at the end of his contract to join Real Madrid, further reducing Iraola's options. Jeremy Jacquet, meanwhile, has yet to feature in pre-season after a serious shoulder injury and a subsequent minor issue.
The defensive shortage was evident during Liverpool's recent tour of the United States, with teenage defenders Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye featuring heavily. Full-back Luke Chambers was also used in central defence, while Iraola acknowledged that his squad was "thin" in the position.

#season

Liverpool have moved quickly, and with good reason. A defensive crisis has a habit of wrecking plans before a season has properly begun, so the push to bring in Ronald Araujo on a season-long loan feels like a piece of sensible business rather than a gamble.
Andoni Iraola has a problem at the back. Joe Gomez is out after limping off in pre-season and is expected to miss around a month, which leaves him absent for the start of the campaign. Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from an ACL injury, Conor Bradley may yet be sidelined for a while, and the departure of Ibrahima Konate to Real Madrid has left a sizeable hole in the squad.
That is where Araujo comes in. The Barcelona defender has been lined up as the answer, a player capable of operating at centre-back and right-back, which matters when injuries are piling up and flexibility becomes priceless.
Araujo is 27 now, an age where a defender should understand the game and still have enough power to dominate it. Last season he made 24 La Liga appearances as Barcelona won the ***** le, and over the course of his time at the club he has built up 213 first-team appearances and scored 14 goals since arriving from Boston River in January 2019.
Photo: IMAGO

#season

Liverpool are set to finalise the signing of Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona.
Andoni Iraola's side havereached an agreement to sign the Barcelona captain on a season-long loan deal, with a non-mandatory option to make the move permanent for an undisclosed fee.
Liverpool have targeted Araujo to add depth to their centre-back options, following the loss of Ibrahima Konate to Real Madrid on a free transfer.
Araujo will add an experienced option alongside Virgil van Dijk, helping to ease the adaption of summer signing Jeremy Jacquet and 19-year-old Giovanni Leoni, who is returning from an ACL lay-off.
Araujo will hope to rebuild his career at Liverpool after a frustrating couple of seasons in Catalonia. The Uruguay international has struggled for form and fitness in recent campaigns and took a break from football to focus on his mental health last season, amid fierce criticism.

#ibrahima