José Mourinho Confident Despite Rodri's Departure
José Mourinho insists he has what he needs. Rodri or no Rodri.
The Real Madrid coach declared himself “very happy” with his squad on Tuesday, describing it as “closed” despite the club failing to land the midfielder who instead joined bitter rivals Barcelona.
Madrid move on from Rodri miss
Madrid ripped up and rebuilt large parts of their squad this summer, bringing in six new faces. Record signing Yan Diomande arrived to fanfare, joined by Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella in a window that underlined the club’s intent to refresh around a new core.
The one big miss was Rodri. Madrid’s pursuit collapsed, leaving Silva as the only major reinforcement in the middle of the pitch. For a team that has lost Toni Kroos and will soon lose Luka Modric, that gap has been the subject of debate around the Bernabéu.
Mourinho brushed it aside.
“For me the squad is closed, but the market is still open – you never know if a player will come and say ‘I’ve been benched twice and I want to leave,’” he told reporters. “In theory, no [more deals]… but something could always happen… In my head the squad is closed, and I have not asked for anyone. I am very happy with the players I have.”
The message was clear: no late panic buys, no public lobbying of the board. At least not yet.
Life after Kroos and Modric
Madrid are still learning to live without their long-time conductors. Kroos departed in 2024, Modric is set to follow in 2025, and the team have struggled at times to impose their rhythm without that familiar double act.
On Saturday, they had to grind. Mourinho’s side needed a late goal to escape Espanyol with a 2-1 win in their La Liga opener, a result that flattered the performance more than the coach would admit. Silva started in midfield alongside Federico Valverde, a pairing that gave Madrid energy and verticality but not always the control they once took for granted.
The evolution continues on Wednesday against Real Sociedad, but not with a full deck.
Tchouameni held back
Aurelien Tchouameni, the French defensive midfielder expected to anchor Madrid’s new-look engine room, will not be ready for that clash.
“He’s got a problem, the holiday time wasn’t enough [for him to recover], seeing the games approaching, the player wanted to try … but we’ve decided that you can’t start a season in suffering,” Mourinho explained.
“You can finish a season suffering, the last couple of months, but you can’t start in August not at 100 percent. So we decided with him, the staff, the medical department, to get him to return at 100 percent.”
It was a rare glimpse into Mourinho’s more cautious side. No calculated risk, no half-fit starter thrown into battle. Madrid will wait for Tchouameni, even if that means another improvised midfield in the short term.
Valverde at the heart of it
One constant in Mourinho’s plans is Valverde. Previous coaches pushed the Uruguayan all over the pitch – right-back, right wing, hybrid roles on the flank. Mourinho wants him where the game breathes.
“For me he is a player for the centre of the pitch,” he said. “Depending on the opponent and our objectives, he might be more set in his position or more mobile.”
That flexibility is part of a broader vision. Mourinho is leaning into a fluid, positionless interpretation of modern midfield play, less obsessed with shirt numbers and traditional labels.
“I don’t want to identify Tchouameni as the No. 6, Camavinga No. 6, Fede No. 8, Bernardo No. 10 … things dilute during games.”
The old Madrid had Kroos and Modric dictating from clear, almost ceremonial roles. The new Madrid, built around Diomande, Silva, Valverde, Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, may have to thrive in the blur.
Rodri slipped away to Barcelona. Mourinho’s bet is that he won’t be missed. The season will decide how bold that claim really is.
