According to AS, after continuous signings this summer, Real Madrid is planning to facilitate several player departures and does not rule out completing a major midfield sale to raise funds for the new midfielder Mourinho wants to bring in.
As previously reported by AS, Ceballos has reached an agreement with Real Madrid to terminate his contract. However, this is just the beginning of Real Madrid's clear-out plan. As the team is bringing in a large number of new players, Real Madrid plans to let several players leave, and more importantly, the club is willing to complete a blockbuster midfield sale.
This major sale will help Real Madrid meet Mourinho's demands. Mourinho hopes to complete squad building with a high-level B2B midfielder after signing another center-back. He wants a midfielder with defensive coverage and progressive passing abilities, as well as the capacity to orchestrate the team's play. Currently, Matheus Fernandes of West Ham United and Enzo Fernández of Chelsea are on Real Madrid's transfer radar.
However, within Real Madrid, the club is already considering a realistic scenario: if no important player leaves first, acquiring the midfielder Mourinho wants will be difficult. Real Madrid needs to sell players to make room for a major signing. It should be noted that Real Madrid spent nearly 200 million euros last summer, bringing in Hüijsen, Carreras, Mastantonio, and Trent. In the current transfer window, Real Madrid has already invested 50 million euros for Cucurella and 20 million euros for Dumfries, while also bearing signing fees for Bernardo Silva and Konate.
In the current Real Madrid squad, Camavinga and Tchouaméni are both highly valued players in the market. In comparison, Camavinga's standing in the team is more unstable. His trajectory at Real Madrid has clearly shown a strong start followed by decline. This season, he has only featured in 43% of playing time, which is clearly too low for a player who started in the 2024 Champions League final against Dortmund. The French midfielder has previously attracted attention from Premier League teams, and Paris Saint-Germain has also made informal inquiries. Real Madrid spent 40 million euros to sign Camavinga from Rennes in 2021, so from an accounting perspective, his transfer cost has been amortized. However, so far, Camavinga has shown no desire to leave the club.
Another highly marketable player in the current Real Madrid squad is Tchouaméni. In Real Madrid's trophy-less season, Tchouaméni was among the best performing players. Real Madrid spent 80 million euros to sign him from Monaco in summer 2022. Like Camavinga, Tchouaméni's transfer cost has also been amortized. It remains to be seen what tactical approach Mourinho will adopt, what his basic formation will be, and what role Tchouaméni will play.
It also remains to be seen how the past conflict between Tchouaméni and Valverde will affect the locker room. In principle, both parties have moved past this matter. In contrast, Valverde seems unlikely to leave, as Real Madrid considers him one of the team's core figures and he is currently the team's captain. Since Ancelotti's departure, Valverde has experienced difficult months at Real Madrid, which has not gone unnoticed by clubs interested in signing him. According to Transfermarkt, Valverde's current market value is 90 million euros.
The transfer market has just begun, and the squads of major European teams have not yet been finalized. Real Madrid needs to let several players leave to make room for new signings such as Bernardo Silva, Konate, Dumfries, and Cucurella, and also to raise funds for the high-level B2B midfielder Mourinho wants to bring in. Real Madrid is making significant efforts to reshape its squad. The club is currently targeting a different type of player than in recent years, hoping these signings will perform immediately and reverse some negative habits that have gradually returned over the past period.