Real Madrid have published their squad list for Tuesday's match against Elche in La Liga. While this game is expected to be a manageable one for Los Blancos, it will also be crucial to not only get the three points but gain some confidence and momentum ahead of Sunday's Madrid Derbi.
REAL MADRID SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, and Sergio Mestre.
Defenders: Asencio, Huijsen, Trent, Konaté, Cucurella, Á. Carreras, Rüdiger, and Dumfries.
Midfielders: Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Arda Güler, Bernardo, and Thiago.
Forwards: Vini Jr., Endrick, Mbappé, C. Espí, Brahim, and Yan Diomande.
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Date: 09/15/2026
Time: 21:30 CEST, 03:30pm EST.

#squad

Real Madrid host Rayo Vallecano in what should be a manageable game and a decent opportunity for José Mourinho to make some rotations, as he admitted during the pre-match press conference.
PREDICTED LINEUPS
Real Madrid predicted XI: Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Camavinga, Bernardo Silva; Güler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappé.
Rayo Vallecano predicted XI: Cárdenas; Ratiu, Lejeune, Ciss, Pedrosa; Valentín, Bouaré; Tsitaishvili, Unai López, Álvaro García; Camello.
Camavinga, Bernardo Silva and Arda Güler will almost certainly feature in the starting lineup after being suspended for Real Madrid's match against Inter. Valverde could get some rest in this one.

#predicted #rayo #vallecano #bernardo

Real Madrid have published their squad list for Saturday's match against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.
REAL MADRID SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, and Sergio Mestre.
Defenders: Asencio, Huijsen, Trent, Konaté, Cucurella, Á. Carreras, Rüdiger, and Dumfries.
Midfielders: Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Arda Güler, Bernardo, and Thiago.
Forwards: Vini Jr., Endrick, Mbappé, C. Espí, Brahim, and Yan Diomande.
Asencio makes the list and will be available, with Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Güler also back and expected to play. Mourinho could use this game to make some rotations and it could very well be Diomande's first start for Real Madrid.
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Date: 09/12/2026

#liga #arda #bernardo

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

OFFICIAL LINE-UPS
REAL MADRID (4-3-3): 1 Courtois; 24 Dumfries, 16 Konaté, 4 Huijsen, 17 Cucurella; 12 Alexander-Arnold, 8 Valverde, 5 Bellingham; 21 Diaz, 10 Mbappé, 7 Vinicius.
Substitutes: 13 Lunin, 26 Sergio Mestre, 9 Endrick, 14 Tchouameni, 18 Carreras, 19 Carlos Espi, 22 Rudiger, 25 Diomandé, 27 Thiago Pitarch, 29 Jorge Cestero, 33 Mario Rivas.
Coach: José Mourinho.
INTER (3-5-2): 1 J. Martinez; 28 Pavard, 31 Bisseck, 95 Bastoni; 17 Diouf, 23 Barella, 20 Calhanoglu, 21 Jones, 30 Carlos Augusto; 9 Thuram, 10 Lautaro.

#konat #huijsen

Real Madrid host Inter Milan in the opening game of the Champions League's Group Stage. Los Blancos are coming off a disappointing loss against Betis, so bouncing back tonight would improve the team's confidence and momentum.
Real Madrid predicted XI: Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Bellingham; Brahim, Diomande, Vinicius; Mbappé.
Inter Milan predicted XI: Martínez; Bisseck, Stones, Bastoni; Luis Henrique, Barella, Calhanoglu, Jones, Carlos Ausgusto; Lautaro, Thuram.
Mourinho will have to rebuild his midfield line given that Güler, Camavinga and Bernardo Silva are all out. Bellingham will likely be deployed alongside Valverde in the double pivot, with Brahim and Diomande playing in the attacking line.
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#madrid #brahim #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's visit to Sevilla to face Betis is not expected to be an easy one even if Manuel Pellegrini's side just lost to Levante 5-2 a handful of days ago. They're always a strong home team, so this could be the first time this season that Madrid truly need to defend at a high level if they want the three points.
PREDICTED LINEUPS
Real Madrid predicted XI: Courtois, Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella, Bernardo, Valverde, Güler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappé.
Betis predicted XI: Valles, Bellerín, Diego Llorente, Natan, Fran García, Facundo, Fornals, Antony, Isco, Riquelme, Cucho.
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#manuel #they 're

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 host Málaga in what should be a comfortable game against a team who are expected to be in the battle to avoid relegation this season. Mourinho could decide to make some rotations ahead of the weekend's away game against Betis.
PREDICTED LINEUPS
Real Madrid predicted XI: Courtois; Trent, Konaté, Rüdiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Bernardo Silva; Vinicius, Bellingham, Güler; Mbappé.
Málaga predicted XI: Herrero; Puga, Recio, Galilea, Salinas; Izan, Dotor; Dani Lorenzo, Larrubia, Rafita; Chupe.
Players like Brahim or Diomandé could also feature in the starting lineup if Mourinho decides to rest one of the attackers.

#courtois #trent

Real Madrid host Málaga in what should be a good opportunity for José Mourinho to rotate his squad and rest some of his starters.
PREDICTED LINEUPS
Real Madrid predicted XI: Courtois; Trent, Konaté, Rüdiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Bernardo Silva; Vinicius, Bellingham, Güler; Mbappé.
Málaga predicted XI: Herrero; Puga, Recio, Galilea, Salinas; Izan, Dotor; Dani Lorenzo, Larrubia, Rafita; Chupe.
Players like Brahim or Diomandé could also feature in the starting lineup if Mourinho decides to rest one of the attackers.

#mourinho #konat

Real Madrid have published their squad list for Sunday's home match against Málaga.
REAL MADRID SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, and Javi Navarro.
Defenders: Huijsen, Trent, Konaté, Cucurella, Á. Carreras, Rüdiger, Dumfries, and Mario Rivas.
Midfielders: Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Arda Güler, Bernardo, Cestero, and Alexis Ciria.
Forwards: Vini Jr., Mbappé, C. Espí, Brahim, and Yan Diomande.
No significant news on this list even though Mourinho will be expected to make some changes after the team's first two games. Málaga should be manageable opposition at home and that's why rotations could be on the way.
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Date: 08/30/2026

#goalkeepers

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

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

What a dominant showing from start to finish: our Red Bulls celebrated a thoroughly deserved 3–0 win over Mjällby on home turf to secure their spot in the UEFA Europa League's league phase. After a dominant but goalless first half, our lads were rewarded after the break with a brace from Konate and an additional strike from Haris Tabakovic.
After a cautious start, our lads steadily upped the tempo and created their first big chance in the twelfth minute. Tabakovic intercepted a misplaced pass from the Swedes, kept his composure, and played a sharp, low ball across the box—Eddi Baidoo missed connecting with it in the centre by just an inch or two. With possession hovering around 70 percent at times and clear dominance in terms of shots on goal, our Red Bulls took control of the match early on.
Mjällby tried to disrupt our flow of play with aggressive tackling, picking up their first two yellow cards after just twenty minutes. Following a heavy challenge by Granath on Nikolas Veratschnig, our right-back - clearly in pain - even called for a VAR check, though none was forthcoming. While the visitors offered absolutely nothing in attack, they made life difficult for our lads through sheer physicality.
In the final fifteen minutes of the first half, we carved out further opportunities to take the lead against the Swedes' deep defensive block. First, Abubakr Barry unleashed a well-placed long-range shot following a counter-attack (32'). Shortly after, Mjällby's tight man-marking prevented a goal when Baidoo played a ball across to Tabakovic. Just before the half-time whistle, Veratschnig curled a dangerous free-kick towards the corner of the target, but Mjällby goalkeeper Wallinder was equal to it with a strong save. The first half ended goalless.
After the restart, Haris Tabakovic and Konate initially missed chances from promising positions in the center of the box (57') before the breakthrough finally came. Following a long-range shot from Redzic, Wallinder could only parry the ball forward, and Konate reacted quickest to tap in a deserved opening goal (61').

#llby

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

Real Madrid host Real Sociedad in José Mourinho's return to the Santiago Bernabéu 13 years after his departure. This is the first home match of the season for Los Blancos, who will be expected to earn the three points in convincing way.
PREDICTED LINEUPS:
Real Madrid predicted XI: Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Rüdiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Güler; Diomande, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappé.
Real Sociedad predicted XI: Remiro; Aramburu, Zubeldia, Jon Martín, Sergio Gómez; Yangel Herrera, Carlos Soler; Kubo, Sucic, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea.
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#predicted

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

Real Madrid ended their pre-season schedule in fine style on Sunday with a resounding 3-0 victory over Schalke at the VELTINS-Arena. Kylian Mbappe, Dean Huijsen and summer signing Carlos Espi all scored for Los Blancos, who won four of their five fixtures in the lead-up to the 2026-27 campaign starting next weekend.
As per MD, head coach Jose Mourinho spoke to Real Madrid TV to discuss where he sees his side ahead of the season opener against Espanyol next week. He admitted that he is pleased with everyone's condition, including those who only just returned following an extended break after the 2026 World Cup.
"At the moment, it's difficult to speak individually, because we're growing as a team. Here we only have good, very good and very, very good players. From the combination of the work of these players we have to make a very good team. I think we are taking the right steps to do it.
"I'm very happy with the last ones who arrived, it's not easy to get into a high intensity, have a double session morning and afternoon, an incredible heat, and they arrived with a top mentality. The question of 45 minutes for Kylian, for Konate, 30 for Jude, Cucurella, Diomande, are things that we **** yse scientifically with data we have and with the player's own experience, the knowledge of his body. We arrive in a very acceptable condition for this moment of the season."
Mourinho is also pleased with how his players are becoming a cohesive unit, and he expects things to get better and better as they all get up to match speed.

#mourinho