It’s taken for granted that Real Madrid will seek a new manager in the summer, with Alvaro Arbeloa unlikely to have his contract renewed after guiding the club to a second season in a row without a major trophy. In-house discussions are already ongoing regarding possible replacements, and one of those being considered is Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho can leave Benfica for free at the end of the season, and his possible availability has alerted Real Madrid. He’s quickly emerged as the favoured candidate of president Florentino Perez, with whom he has retained a good relationship since his first spell at the Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013.
Mourinho has made it clear that he is keen to return to Real Madrid this summer, and at this stage, Real Madrid consider him to be the only viable option to replace Arbeloa, as Diario AS have reported.
The Real Madrid dressing room has been split apart in recent months, with the situation coming to a head earlier this week with the recent fight between Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde. Club bosses are concerned, but they see Mourinho as someone that can rebuild the team’s spirit, and subsequently, push them on to better things next season.
No agreement between Real Madrid and Mourinho yet
As of yet, there has been no agreement reached between Real Madrid and Mourinho regarding the latter taking over as manager. Club bosses are still focused on on-field efforts, although that could change after this week, considering that anything other than a victory in El Clasico on Sunday would officially hand the La Liga title to Barcelona.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho does end up returning to Real Madrid in the summer, but all signs are pointing that way currently. His appointment would certainly create a lot of noise, but whether it has the necessary impact on the dressing room will be the key thing for club officials.
