Real Madrid give Mourinho another season to assess Chema Andres and Jacobo Ramon

Real Madrid have postponed decisions on the potential returns of Chema Andres and Jacobo Ramon, with manager Jose Mourinho agreeing to monitor both players for another season before deciding whether to bring them back to the Santiago Bernabeu.

The two academy graduates are impressing away from the Spanish capital, but the club believes they still need more time to develop before being considered ready for a regular role in the first team. Mourinho shares that view and has chosen not to activate either buy-back option this summer.

Real Madrid presented Mourinho with the possibility of re-signing the pair as part of efforts to strengthen the two areas regarded as the squad’s weakest: midfield and defence. According to Defensa Central, the Portuguese coach and the club have instead agreed to delay both decisions and follow the players’ progress closely throughout the 2026-27 campaign.

The club’s original preference had been to wait until 2027 before considering their returns. However, concerns over the depth and quality available in midfield and defence led Real Madrid to put the option of re-signing both players to Mourinho. Despite that opportunity, the club remains convinced that further development would benefit them.

Real Madrid believe both players have the ability to perform at the Santiago Bernabeu in the future. Mourinho has reached the same conclusion, but considers continued first-team football elsewhere to be the best route for now. He will personally follow their performances and progress during the coming season before making a recommendation to the club’s sporting and executive departments.

Chema Andres is currently with Stuttgart, while Ramon has joined Como. Mourinho intends to watch their development in Germany and Italy and assess how they respond to the demands of playing regularly at senior level.

Real Madrid can bring Andres back in the summer of 2027 for €18m. Ramon’s buy-back clause is understood to be worth between €9m and €10m, meaning the combined cost of re-signing the two players would be no more than €30m.

That figure is considered acceptable by Real Madrid, particularly because the club already received financial returns from selling both players last summer. The structure of the agreements also gives them flexibility over whether to bring the pair back or profit from their development in another way.

Should Real Madrid ultimately decide not to exercise either buy-back clause, the decision would not end the club’s potential benefit from the players. Their continued progress outside the Spanish capital could increase their market value, allowing Real Madrid to generate further income from future sales.

For now, Mourinho’s approach is one of patience. Rather than immediately restoring two promising academy products to his squad, he will spend the next season evaluating their performances before deciding whether Chema Andres and Jacobo Ramon are ready to return to the Bernabeu.