Just a week after the conclusion of the Real Madrid presidential election, the club have come out all guns blazing in the transfer market.
Los Blancos have already announced the signing of Marc Cucurella from Chelsea earlier in the day and have already finalised moves for Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konate.
This is a sharp shift compared to Real Madrid’s more calculated approach in earlier transfer windows, and all the credit should be given to Jose Mourinho.
A 180-degree shift in approach
According to AS, the way Real Madrid are operating this summer represents a near-complete reversal of their traditional transfer philosophy.
José Mourinho, Head Coach of Benfica
Mourinho is getting what he wants. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
For years, Real Madrid made signings from a club perspective, prioritising medium-term planning over the immediate needs of whoever happened to be in the dugout. The principle was simple: adapt the coach to the plan, rather than the plan to the coach.
That has now changed entirely. Mourinho has been handed a genuine seat at the decision-making table, with a voice, a vote and real power over recruitment. What the Portuguese coach wants, he is getting.
Mourinho’s fingerprints on every deal
The report adds that Mourinho spearheaded the move for Dumfries, singling him out in early June when the club were weighing up a range of names.
He was certain from the outset, conveyed that certainty to the board, and the deal was accelerated and finalised within days at a cost of €20 million.
Marc Cucurella of Chelsea
Mourinho played a key role in Cucurella deal. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Bernardo Silva is an even clearer example. He went from being a name on the shortlist to the centrepiece of the plan, largely because of Mourinho’s insistence during a key planning meeting at the Santo Mauro hotel.
The coach contacted the player personally to explain the situation and paved the way for the move.
Cucurella followed the same pattern. He had been on the shortlist alongside the likes of Josko Gvardiol, Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie, but once Mourinho made his preference clear, the deal was finalised in just a day and a half for a fee of around €55 million.
By giving Mourinho the tools he deems necessary to implement his style, Real Madrid are betting heavily on the Portuguese coach delivering a swift return to winning ways.