Real Madrid’s Mourinho ‘happy’ with transfers despite Rodri miss

Published On 25 Aug 202625 Aug 2026.

Key points

• With midfield maestros Toni Kroos and Luka Modric departing in 2024 and 2025 respectively, Madrid have struggled to control matches.
• Mourinho's side snatched a late 2-1 win at Espanyol on Saturday in their La Liga opener, starting with Silva and Federico Valverde together in midfield.
• Los Blancos revamped their squad this summer, signing six players including record arrival Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella.
• Mourinho remarked French defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni was not ready to play against Real Sociedad on Wednesday.
• Nevertheless, Madrid's approach for Rodri broke down, meaning that, beyond former Man City playmaker Silva, they have not strengthened in midfield.

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho notes he is "very happy" with his squad. It he considers complete despite missing out on midfielder Rodri, afterwards signed by rivals Barcelona.

"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, '" Mourinho remarked to journalists on Tuesday.

"In theory, no. But something could always happen. In my head the squad is closed, and I have not asked for anyone. I am particularly happy with the players I have."

"He's got a problem, the holiday time wasn't enough, seeing the games approaching, the player wanted to try. But we've decided that you can't start a season in suffering, " explained the coach.

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."

Mourinho remarked he had faith in Uruguayan international Valverde as a midfielder, despite previous coaches using him in a variety of roles, including right-back and right winger.

"For me he is a player for the centre of the pitch, " continued Mourinho.

"Depending on the opponent and our objectives, he might be more set in his position or more mobile." Mourinho remarked that in modern football, players' positions were less relevant.

"I don't want to identify Tchouameni as the No. 6, Camavinga No. 6, Fede No. 8, Bernardo No. 10. Things dilute during games."

Taken together, the developments around real Madrid's Mourinho 'happy' with transfers despite Rodri miss point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.