Jose Mourinho and Florentino Perez of Real Madrid
Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website
According to Defensa Central, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is convinced that Jose Mourinho could soon field his four main attacking stars together: Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham and Uan Diomande.
Mourinho has not regularly started all four at the same time since taking charge, but recent conversations between the Real Madrid president and head coach have indicated that the Portuguese is increasingly open to the possibility.
As such, Perez believes that the attacking quartet will soon start playing together more regularly and that they will lead the club to trophies and titles.
Mbappe, Bellingham, and Vinicius are already permanent fixtures. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Tchouameni’s return could unlock the attacking quartet
The return of Aurelien Tchouameni could be particularly important if Mourinho decides to use all four attacking players together.
Tchouameni and Federico Valverde could provide the defensive base needed to give the forwards greater freedom, although that would raise another question over the role of Arda Guler.
Mourinho nevertheless believes there will continue to be opportunities for the Turkish midfielder, whether from the start or as an impact substitute.
Diomande pushing for a starting place
Diomande’s development is also making the selection decision more complicated.
Mourinho is aware that a player who cost €140 million is difficult to leave on the bench, particularly when he is beginning to make an increasing impact on the pitch.
Some observers now believe Diomande is even putting pressure on Vinicius for a starting position.
According to the report, Mourinho has told Perez that Diomande is in excellent physical condition, training increasingly well, learning quickly and eager to contribute to the team.
Yan Diomande, Real Madrid player
Diomande is pushing for greater involvement. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images)
The coach values the work the Ivorian has been putting in and expects his number of starts to increase.
While Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius remain central figures in Mourinho’s plans, Diomande could increasingly take minutes away from players such as Guler and Bernardo Silva.
Mourinho continues to shape his Real Madrid project
With most of the injured players now beginning to return, apart from those facing longer-term absences, Mourinho has more options available as he continues to refine his Real Madrid team.
Perez is confident that the Portuguese coach can make full use of a squad assembled with major ambitions.
There has been considerable discussion about Real Madrid’s midfield options, but the club continues to trust the players already in the squad.
The expectation within the report is that Mourinho will look to combine the attacking quality available to him with greater defensive solidity, with the potential return of Tchouameni providing another option for balancing an ambitious attacking setup.
Bayern director fires shots at Kylian Mbappe over Ballon d’Or claims: ‘The best players are those who don’t need a campaign’
Max Eberl, Bayern Munich sporting director
Max Eberl, Bayern Munich sporting director
Kylian Mbappe’s statements on the Ballon d’Or were the trigger for a massive chain reaction and media war between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The Frenchman opened up in an interview where he spoke about why he feels he should be the undisputed winner of the Ballon d’Or this year, and the Real Madrid administration quickly had his back with supporting statements.
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, however, did not hold back as he soon opened up in an interview on why he should take home the accolade, and Barcelona followed suit by backing his claim.
Soon, the discussion around the Ballon d’Or settled around the two players, surprisingly taking many other contenders from other clubs out of the picture.
Max Eberl, the sporting director of Bayern Munich, was asked to give his two cents on the Ballon d’Or race and all the noise being made about it in the media via SPORT.
Michael Olise, Bayern Munich player
One of Bayern Munich’s frontrunners. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Having two strong contenders in Bayern Munich in Harry Kane and Michael Olise, Eberl did not mince his words and made it very clear that true winners did not require any form of external media validation, taking a swipe at Mbappe and Yamal.
“All that some do or say are just electoral campaigns. The best players are those who don’t need a campaign to win prizes,” he said, subtly pushing his players’ cases.
While it is true that Kane and Olise both had phenomenal years, they both won neither the World Cup or the UEFA Champions League. Moreover, Mbappe directly overshadowed Olise on the same team at the World Cup.
Why is Mbappe a strong candidate?
Kylian Mbappe was the top scorer in virtually every competition he played last year for both club and country, and his effectiveness in the final third was the biggest driving force for both Real Madrid and France.
Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid player
One of the best players in the world last season. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images)
There is no doubt that he was the best striker last season, and on an individual level, possibly the best player by some distance.
What works slightly against him, however, is that he did not win a single trophy at any level last season, taking his ‘team success’ tally to zero.
There have, however, been instances of players without trophies winning the Ballon d’Or in the past as well.