Real Madrid’s failure to sign Rodri this summer transfer window has put the spotlight firmly on the existing midfield options in the squad.
With the Spanish World Cup winner not coming to join the project, the onus is now on the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga to step up.
Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, Camavinga remains under pressure at Real Madrid, with the French midfielder still struggling to convince despite posting respectable numbers during pre-season.
The 23-year-old is one of the players whose future remains uncertain after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.
The player has so far maintained his stance that he has no intention of leaving and wants to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu until his contract expires in 2029.
The midfielder has started both of Real Madrid’s pre-season friendlies so far, completing 90 minutes against Fiorentina before playing the first half against Ferencvaros.
Statistically, his performances have been solid.
Camavinga has failed to make an impact. (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images)
Against Fiorentina, Camavinga completed 93% of his passes, recovered possession seven times and won six of his nine duels.
He followed that up with another efficient display against Ferencvaros, completing 51 of 52 passes, recovering the ball four times and winning four of six duels.
The issue is that those statistics have not translated into a commanding presence.
Camavinga has still looked short of authority in midfield, particularly when asked to control the rhythm of the game and impose himself in possession.
This is perhaps the biggest issue for Madrid in midfield. The Frenchman has always had the athleticism, recovery ability and versatility to contribute.
However, his game has simply not taken the next step into becoming a midfielder who can consistently dictate matches rather than simply participate in them.
Rodri’s decision to join Barcelona may actually give Camavinga a fresh opportunity.
Camavinga faces a make-or-break period at Real Madrid. (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images)
With Real Madrid currently not expected to sign another orchestrator, Jose Mourinho may have to rely more heavily on the options already available.
Tchouameni is still returning to full training, while Bernardo Silva is building fitness.
That leaves Camavinga with a real chance to earn an important role if he can finally rediscover his best form.
However, the Frenchman needs to do much better than he is right now to convince Jose Mourinho of a starting berth.
Sometimes, stats never tell the full story, and that has been the case for Camavinga in these couple of pre-season games.
The upcoming season could be make-or-break for the 23-year-old and his Real Madrid career, and it remains to be seen whether he can show some improvement in the coming weeks.
Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid
Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images
Jose Mourinho has had to navigate his first pre-season back as Real Madrid manager without many of his first-team stars and new signings.
With Los Blancos enjoying significant representation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and many of their players making a deep run in the competition, they have been on extended holidays since.
This has forced Mourinho to adapt, work with the players he had with him and also trust academy starlets like Alexis Ciria, who have caught the eye.
Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, Mourinho will finally have his full Real Madrid squad available for pre-season, with the club’s last five World Cup participants returning to Valdebebas on Monday.
Marc Cucurella, Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni, Ibrahima Konate and Jude Bellingham are all due to report back as Madrid begin the fifth week of their summer preparations.
The five players will first undergo the usual medical checks before joining training at the club’s facilities.
For Cucurella and Konate, it will also mark their first proper session as Real Madrid players after joining the club earlier in the summer.
Mourinho will have the entire Real Madrid squad at his disposal. (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images)
Cucurella returns as a newly crowned world champion with Spain and as one of Madrid’s biggest additions of the window, while Konate will begin integrating into Mourinho’s defensive set-up.
The returning internationals are naturally behind their team-mates in terms of pre-season rhythm after extended breaks following the World Cup.
Mourinho’s immediate challenge will be getting them physically ready without pushing too hard too quickly.
Madrid still have two important friendlies before the competitive season begins.
They face Deportivo La Coruña in the Teresa Herrera Trophy on 12 August before travelling to Germany to play Schalke 04 on 16 August.
Those matches should provide useful minutes for Mbappe, Bellingham, Cucurella and the others as they build towards match fitness.
The real pre-season starts for Mourinho. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)
This is the stage of pre-season where Mourinho can finally begin working with something close to his genuine first-choice team.
Until now, although there have been some patterns to pick up on, it still is not clear how Mourinho’s Madrid are going to look the second time around.
It is also worth remembering that, for all his reputation, Jose has not exactly set the stage alight in recent seasons as a manager.
Thus, it will be so important for him to hit the ground running at Real Madrid, where the tune can change from comforting to ruthless in a matter of matches.
Real Madrid open their La Liga campaign against Espanyol on 22 August, giving Mourinho just under two weeks to integrate the final arrivals.
It remains to be seen how they get on and who eventually enters Mourinho’s preferred XI in a couple of weeks.