Josko Gvardiol, Manchester City star
Josko Gvardiol, Manchester City star
Real Madrid have already completed five signings this summer: Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella and Carlos Espi.
The Spanish club are also close to an agreement to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig and are in negotiations with Manchester City to sign Rodri.
It is safe to say that it has been a blockbuster summer transfer window for Jose Mourinho upon his return to the club.
One other player Madrid were interested in earlier in the window was Josko Gvardiol, but the Croatian ended up signing a new contract at the English club.
Bernardo Silva of Portugal
Bernardo Silva wanted to move to Spain. (Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images)
He has now admitted that he is not surprised Bernardo Silva ended up at Real Madrid, revealing that the Portuguese midfielder had spoken about returning to Spain for a long time.
Speaking about City’s summer departures to The Athletic, Gvardiol suggested Bernardo’s transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu fulfilled a long-held ambition.
“Bernardo being back where he belongs. He talked about Spain for a long, long time,” the Croatian said.
He also reflected on City’s squad changes, which have seen two of their leaders, Bernardo and Stones, leave this summer.
“How much have we lost? We will find out when we regroup at the start of the season, but we’re going to miss both of them,” Gvardiol explained.
Bernardo Silva of Portugal
Can Silva prove his credentials at Real Madrid? (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
For a long time, it always seemed that if Bernardo returned to Spain, it would be to play for Barcelona.
Even this summer, the Catalan club were the first in negotiations with the Portuguese midfielder. Subsequently, Atletico also entered the race.
It was only after Jose Mourinho’s arrival that Real Madrid pushed to sign Bernardo and wrapped up the deal in quick time.
For someone who has dreamed of playing in La Liga for as long as he has, there is no doubt that Bernardo will be determined to excel for Los Blancos.
Bernardo joins Real Madrid with a reputation as one of Europe’s most intelligent and technically gifted midfielders after years of success at Manchester City.
He is coming off an excellent season for Manchester City, where he played a lot of minutes and established himself as one of the first names for Pep Guardiola.
His versatility, work rate and experience should make him a valuable addition to Jose Mourinho’s squad, particularly as Madrid continue reshaping their midfield ahead of the new season.
The expectations are understandably high for Bernardo, and it remains to be seen how he gets on at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho
Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images
Real Madrid bid goodbye to long-serving right-back and club captain Dani Carvajal at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
The Spaniard has been a part of Madrid’s folklore over the last decade, and he left huge boots behind despite not featuring much last season.
The club already had Trent Alexander-Arnold in the ranks, but the Englishman had endured a difficult first season in Spain.
Los Blancos proceeded to sign Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan, but there was still some concern regarding both right-back options.
However, according to Defensa Central, Trent has emerged as Jose Mourinho’s biggest positive surprise during Real Madrid’s pre-season, with the English defender making a strong early impression on his new manager.
Mourinho has been particularly impressed by Trent’s performances in the club’s opening friendlies after the right-back returned to training in outstanding physical and mental condition.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid player
Alexander-Arnold has made a strong impression so far. (Picture credit: Instagram/@realmadrid).
The report claims Alexander-Arnold arrived at Valdebebas determined to bounce back from one of the toughest periods of his career.
After missing out on England’s World Cup squad, the 27-year-old spent the summer working extensively on both his fitness and mentality with the aim of becoming a key player again.
Those efforts seem to have paid off. Mourinho is said to have been pleasantly surprised by the level Trent has shown since pre-season began.
Mourinho expected to spend significant time improving Trent’s tactical understanding, but instead found a player performing at a much higher level than anticipated.
His display against Fiorentina reinforced that impression, with Trent standing out alongside Denzel Dumfries as one of Madrid’s best performers.
Trent’s woes at right-back have been well documented for quite some time now.
Without an iota of doubt, the Englishman is the most creative right-back of his generation, but his defensive awareness has not always been up to the mark.
His alternative in that position, Denzel Dumfries, has a different issue. He is very good going forward and in recovery defending.
However, the Dutchman’s best football has always come in a back-five formation, where he is allowed to play as a wing-back.
Thus, Jose might have been worried about how to get the best out of his right-back options. It is safe to say that both players have started well to ease those concerns.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho and Denzel Dumfries
Dumfries will compete with Trent in the first-team. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)
Despite Trent’s encouraging start, the battle for the right-back position is far from settled.
Dumfries has also impressed since arriving, giving Mourinho two high-level options for the role.
The Portuguese coach is open to rotating between them depending on the opposition, while he has also experimented with using both players in the same line-up.
This tactical flexibility could allow Jose to play both players on the right flank against opposition where crossing could be a viable threat.
For now, though, the encouraging sign is that Trent has made a great start. The next important step is to maintain that consistency, and it remains to be seen how the 27-year-old gets on under Jose.