José Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid may not have been officially announced yet, but reports suggest the Portuguese manager has already experienced his first disagreement with the club’s hierarchy.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Mourinho was not in favour of Real Madrid’s recent €150 million bid for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.
The blockbuster offer, which was swiftly rejected by Atletico Madrid, generated headlines across Spain and became one of the biggest talking points of the summer.
However, behind the scenes, the operation may not have enjoyed unanimous support within the club.
While there are conflicting versions of events regarding Mourinho’s level of involvement, both sides agree on one key point: the Portuguese coach was never convinced that Alvarez was the right signing for Real Madrid.
Mourinho did not back the Alvarez operation
Jose Mourinho, Benfica manager
Mourinho was not happy about the offer. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
According to the outlet, Real Madrid’s version of events is that Mourinho was informed about the club’s intention to submit an offer for the Argentine international.
However, despite being aware of the move, he allegedly did not support the operation.
The club’s leadership nevertheless proceeded with the proposal, ultimately seeing Atletico Madrid reject the €150 million offer almost immediately.
Sources close to Mourinho, however, present a different account.
What’s the story?
Julian Alvarez, Atletico Madrid player
Alvarez was not Mourinho’s choice. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
Those sources claim that the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager knew nothing about the offer before it became public.
In fact, Mourinho only discovered the situation when Real Madrid released an official statement confirming that Atletico Madrid had turned down the proposal.
Understandably so, Mourinho was unhappy with the way the situation panned out, particularly because he had not been consulted beforehand.
Regardless of which version is accurate, the common theme remains the same that Alvarez was not a player Mourinho was pushing the club to sign.