Real Madrid are set to appoint a new manager in the coming weeks, and Jose Mourinho is the frontrunner by quite some distance.
The club are keen on hiring the Portuguese tactician and Mourinho himself is also said to be open to the move, making negotiations between the two parties simple.
In fact, the manager is said to be so committed to his desire to join that he has already spoken to several leaders within the Real Madrid dressing room to ease his way in.
Intent conveyed
As reported by Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, Mourinho has already spoken to Real Madrid and made his intentions and ideologies clear to ensure there is no misunderstanding in the future. He has, thus, been clear about his methodology from the get-go.
Seeking defensive reinforcements. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)
Further, the report adds that Mourinho has asked Real Madrid for defensive signings in the summer. He clearly sees the backline to be the weak link in the side and desires key recruitments to fill that void.
The update, needless to say, shows that Mourinho is deeply vested in Real Madrid’s plans and that he is determined to announce his presence on the football scene with a statement run with his former side.
A question of managing egos
If Real Madrid’s recent game against Real Oviedo left one takeaway clear, it was the massive ego struggle in the dressing room and the rift it is creating between the players and the manager.
Mourinho will have his task cut out at Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Alvaro Arbeloa’s open disagreement with Kylian Mbappe after the game made it clear that the players in the dressing room consider themselves to be above the manager which is the sign of a toxic dressing room.
Florentino Perez and Co., thus, have their current objective set as restoring the cultural normalcy in the dressing room. Whether Mourinho still has that aura to keep egos in check, thus, remains to be seen.