Mourinho Pushes for Two More Signings at Real Madrid

José Mourinho is not treating this as a victory lap. Not even close.

Real Madrid have already moved aggressively in the market, locking in Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella and Bernardo Silva ahead of their arrivals after the 2026 World Cup. Four significant additions, four statements of intent. For most clubs, that would be a summer’s work.

For Mourinho, it is only the opening act.

Mourinho pushes for two more pillars

According to Marca, the Portuguese coach has gone back to the Madrid hierarchy with a clear, uncompromising message: this squad still needs two more signings. Not squad fillers. Structural pieces.

First, another centre-back to stand alongside Konaté. Then, a midfielder in the mould of Luka Modrić – someone who can dictate rhythm, stitch phases together and carry the team’s ideas through 90 minutes.

Mourinho has not simply outlined profiles. He has named names.

At the back, he has put forward Alessandro Bastoni and Nico Schlotterbeck as his preferred options. In midfield, he has identified Enzo Fernández and Mateus Fernandes as the ideal fits for what he wants this Real Madrid to become.

This is not a scattergun wishlist. It is a targeted push.

Bastoni or Schlotterbeck? A decision complicated by injury

The centre-back question carries a twist. Schlotterbeck has been a recurring name in recent weeks, regularly floated in the media and clearly admired within the club’s corridors. His blend of aggression, passing range and front-foot defending would align neatly with Mourinho’s demand for authority at the back.

But timing has intervened. The defender has been ruled out for six to eight weeks with injury, a setback that could seriously damage his prospects of securing a move to the Santiago Bernabéu this summer. Madrid do not like uncertainty when building the spine of a new project.

That nudges Bastoni further into the spotlight. The Italian offers composure, left-footed balance and high-level experience, and his profile would complement Konaté’s power and recovery speed. Whether Madrid can prise him away is another matter, but on a pure sporting level, he fits the brief Mourinho has laid down.

The club now face a familiar dilemma: back the long-term target recovering from injury, or pivot decisively to the more stable option.

Enzo leads the midfield shortlist

In midfield, the picture is slightly clearer. Enzo Fernández is understood to be the favoured candidate for that Modrić-style role. His range of passing, press resistance and ability to control games from deep make him an obvious reference point for a team that still leans heavily on the Croatian’s genius.

Yet there is a snag. A move for the Chelsea midfielder is not close. His situation is complex, and there is no indication of an imminent breakthrough. Madrid admire him, Mourinho wants him, but admiration does not automatically turn into agreement.

Mateus Fernandes remains in the conversation as an alternative, a different route to the same tactical destination. A younger option, a different cost profile, but still aligned with the coach’s insistence on adding a midfielder who can carry responsibility on the ball.

Mourinho’s imprint grows

What is already clear is the extent of Mourinho’s influence on this rebuild. He played a decisive role in the moves for Konaté, Dumfries, Cucurella and Bernardo Silva, shaping the squad with a very specific competitive edge in mind. He is now attempting to apply that same pressure to the final pieces of the puzzle.

Real Madrid have been busy, but their head coach is not interested in declaring the job done. Not while he still sees gaps at the heart of his defence and in the engine room of his midfield.

The club will move again before the summer window closes. The only real question now is how far they are willing to go to match Mourinho’s demands – and how different this Madrid will look when those World Cup arrivals finally walk out at the Bernabéu.