Real Madrid return built around Rodri as Mourinho revives a familiar winning formula

Jose Mourinho has made Rodri the central target of his latest Real Madrid rebuild, believing the Manchester City midfielder can become the controlling force behind the club’s revival after a troubled 2025-26 season.

The 63-year-old Portuguese coach has returned to Real Madrid knowing the challenge is different from any previous stage of his managerial career. His objective is not only to restore the club to the trophy-winning positions, but also to recover its authority after a difficult campaign.

Mourinho has therefore sought to shape a squad around his footballing ideas. Real Madrid’s dressing room has already undergone major changes, with Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konate among the most prominent additions. The club is also continuing its work on a deal for Yan Diomande.

Rodri, however, is regarded as the most important part of the project.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Mourinho sees the Ballon d’Or winner and most recent World Cup champion as the player Real Madrid’s midfield needs to lead its new era. The manager considers Rodri a superior fit to the options currently available to him, including Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and Arda Guler.

Mourinho’s preference for a dominant midfield organiser is not new. Since the beginning of his coaching career, he has consistently built his teams around a player capable of controlling the tempo and directing operations from the centre of the pitch.

At Porto, where Mourinho won the Champions League, Deco was the creative brain of the side, while Costinha supplied the defensive discipline and positional balance. Deco became the most important player in that project and made 106 appearances under Mourinho more than he made under any other manager in his career. He scored 23 goals and provided 69 assists during that period.

Mourinho then moved to Chelsea and created one of the greatest teams in the club’s history, guiding them to back-to-back Premier League titles and ending a 50-year wait for the championship.

Frank Lampard was the foundation of that side. Only John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho made more appearances for Chelsea under Mourinho than Lampard. Although Lampard was not a conventional playmaker, his attacking ability made him the team’s influential all-round midfielder. Claude Makelele and Michael Essien provided the defensive balance alongside him.

When Mourinho took charge of Inter Milan, he wanted to reunite with Deco, saying at the time: “We want a playmaker, it is a position I have always felt the need for.”

The move did not happen, and Wesley Sneijder instead became Inter’s creative hub. Esteban Cambiasso performed the deeper leadership role Mourinho valued in midfield. Cambiasso played 94 matches under the Portuguese, with only Javier Zanetti, Julio Cesar and Maicon featuring more often. Dejan Stankovic was also among Mourinho’s most trusted players during the historic season in which Inter completed a treble.

Mourinho found another central figure when he began his first spell at Real Madrid. Xabi Alonso was made the team’s main organiser and the starting point for its build-up. Only Cristiano Ronaldo played more matches for Real Madrid under Mourinho, while Alonso became the heartbeat of the side during the manager’s three years at Santiago Bernabeu. He had recently won the 2010 World Cup with Spain at the time.

After leaving Real Madrid in 2013, Mourinho returned to Chelsea and persuaded Cesc Fabregas to join him. The Spain midfielder became the team’s chief playmaker and midfield leader, helping the club win another Premier League title.

Although Mourinho’s subsequent spells at Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma and Fenerbahce did not produce the same level of success, his belief in appointing a midfield commander remained unchanged.

At Manchester United and Roma, Nemanja Matic was given that leadership responsibility, alongside more creative players such as Paul Pogba at Old Trafford and Leandro Paredes in Rome. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg fulfilled a similar role at Tottenham, while Fred became the central figure in midfield at Fenerbahce after previously working with Mourinho at Manchester United.

Before returning to Real Madrid, Mourinho led another project in Portugal, where he entrusted the midfield to Italian player Enzo Barrenechea. Many regarded Barrenechea as the closest equivalent to Rodri within Mourinho’s tactical system.

Now, Mourinho appears to have identified the player he has been seeking for years.

If his plans are fulfilled, Rodri will become Real Madrid’s new midfield leader and the true successor to Toni Kroos. His arrival would allow Mourinho to continue a philosophy that has followed him throughout his career: placing one player in control of the match’s rhythm and giving him responsibility for driving the team towards victory from the heart of the pitch.