Updated: 29 May 2026 08:47 BST |
5 min read
Jose Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid may have been stalled, but the Portuguese has submitted a detailed report of the players he would like to sign in the summer – and it promises to be a spectacular transfer window if he gets his way.
Mourinho is expected to be named as Real Madrid’s next manager, but this hinges on president Florentino Perez winning his position back in an election on 7 June.
While this process has delayed the Portuguese’s much-anticipated but surprising return to the Bernabeu, the club is determined not to allow the situation to slow down their transfer plans.
Real Madrid’s summer transfer plans revealed
Mourinho has already told Real Madrid what players he wants signed this summer. One of the conditions of his return was that he would get a major say in the club’s transfer dealings, so his influence in this regard is vitally important.
The 63-year-old is not aiming to overhaul the entire squad, but he does want key players recruited across the team. AS reports that Mourinho wants Madrid to sign a right-back, a left-back, at least one central defender and one or two central midfielders.
While AS does not name-drop the targets that the current Benfica boss has in mind, Cadena COPE has been more candid with its report, detailing three dream transfer targets that Real Madrid president Perez has in mind.
Mourinho’s countryman Joao Neves, the PSG midfielder, is the first name on the list. For the heart of the defence, Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan will be targeted. Finally, Victor Munoz, who has been included in Spain’s World Cup squad after a stellar season at Osasuna, is named.
Neves, Bastoni, Munoz: How realistic are these targets for Real Madrid?
A deal for Munoz should prove straightforward. Madrid sold the attacker to Osasuna last summer in a deal worth €5 million but have a buyback clause in the agreement, similar to the situation with Nico Paz at Como. In the case of Munoz, the buyback agreement has been set at just €8m, meaning they are in line for a bargain.
Bastoni also seems a viable target. The Italy international centre-back has been regularly linked with a move away from Inter this summer and had been a major target for Barcelona until the Catalan side started to focus their transfer efforts on their attack. The defender will not come cheap, however. Inter’s starting valuation for the player is €70m, perfectly in line with his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV).
By contrast, PSG’s Joao Neves represents an altogether more ambitious target. There is no indication that the Champions League holders wish to sell the 21-year-old midfielder, who remains under contract until 2029. As a key figure in Luis Enrique’s side, any deal would be a major shock.
Taking into account that Real Madrid want five or six players, Mourinho’s transfer shortlist is likely to comfortably set the club back €200m if his demands are met, but it may take such a dramatic transformation to bring the team back into contention for titles after a catastrophic season.
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