José Mourinho Declares Real Madrid Squad Closed Amid Rodri Loss
José Mourinho insists his Real Madrid squad is “closed” and good enough to compete, even after losing the tug-of-war for Rodri to Barcelona.
The Portuguese coach watched Madrid rebuild aggressively this summer, with six new faces walking through the door. Record signing Yan Diomande, the craft of Bernardo Silva and the energy of Marc Cucurella headline a window that has reshaped the team’s spine. Yet the one piece many expected to arrive – a new central midfielder in Rodri – slipped away to their greatest rivals.
Madrid pushed for the Spain international but saw the move collapse, leaving Silva as the only midfield reinforcement. That has raised eyebrows, especially with the era-defining tandem of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric heading for the exit in 2024 and 2025. Their gradual departure has already left Madrid struggling to dictate games with the same icy control.
Mourinho, though, cut a calm figure in front of the cameras on Tuesday.
“For me the squad is closed, but the market is still open – you never know if a player will come and say ‘I’ve been benched twice and I want to leave,’” he told reporters. “In theory, no [more deals]… but something could always happen… In my head the squad is closed, and I have not asked for anyone. I am very happy with the players I have.”
That conviction is being tested early. Madrid needed a late surge to escape with a 2-1 win at Espanyol in their La Liga opener on Saturday, a game where Mourinho paired Silva with Federico Valverde in the middle of the pitch. The combination brought dynamism, but not always control, underlining the tactical puzzle left by Kroos and Modric.
Upcoming Challenge
The next challenge comes quickly: Real Sociedad on Wednesday. Mourinho confirmed that Aurelien Tchouameni will not feature from the start, the French midfielder still short of full fitness.
“He’s got a problem, the holiday time wasn’t enough [for him to recover], seeing the games approaching, the player wanted to try … but we’ve decided that you can’t start a season in suffering,” Mourinho explained. “You can finish a season suffering, the last couple of months, but you can’t start in August not at 100 percent.
“So we decided with him, the staff, the medical department, to get him to return at 100 percent.”
Without Tchouameni, the spotlight sharpens on Valverde. The Uruguayan has been used almost everywhere by previous coaches – right-back, right winger, shuttling midfielder – but Mourinho has a clear idea of where he belongs.
“For me he is a player for the centre of the pitch,” he said. “Depending on the opponent and our objectives, he might be more set in his position or more mobile.”
That line leads straight into Mourinho’s broader view of the modern game. Labels, he argued, no longer define players the way they once did.
“I don’t want to identify Tchouameni as the No. 6, Camavinga No. 6, Fede No. 8, Bernardo No. 10 … things dilute during games.”
So Madrid go into the season with a refurbished squad, a missing Rodri, and a coach adamant that what he has is enough. The market clock is still ticking in the background, but unless something breaks from inside the dressing room, Mourinho is betting his reputation on this group carrying Real through a post-Kroos, post-Modric world.
