Tchouameni and Valverde resolve Real Madrid dispute, says journalist

The reported rift between Real Madrid midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde has been completely resolved, according to journalist Javier Herraiz.

Speaking to Spanish radio station SER Deportivos, Herraiz said the disagreement between the two players last season was no longer affecting their relationship and was not the reason they had not been selected together.

“I asked about the nature of their personal relationship and was told it was good,” Herraiz said. “Someone close to the team told me they are not close friends, but they have moved on from the disagreement completely. They are professional and mature players and there will be no problems.”

He added: “I was told by informed sources that they had resolved the issue, and I believe we will see them playing together again, although that is not the usual situation at the moment.”

Herraiz’s comments match those made by manager Jose Mourinho when he was asked about the matter. The Portuguese also said the dispute was now in the past.

Real Madrid remain under scrutiny despite their latest Champions League victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday. The Italian side’s dominance of possession prompted jeers from supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu and led to further questions about the team’s performance.

“There is a lot of debate around Real Madrid, but in the end they won the match,” Herraiz said. “It was not the disaster some people are portraying. Even Vinicius gave everything and won the ball back nine times. Perhaps he is not at his best and should play 60 minutes rather than 90, but that is Mourinho’s decision.”

Real Madrid will have the chance to improve the mood when they face Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. On this occasion, Mourinho is not expected to have to reshape his midfield, with Valverde set to be a key figure alongside either Arda Guler or new signing Bernardo Silva.

“The team will feel that,” Herraiz said.

Mourinho is due to address these issues at his news conference on Friday. The briefing will take place unusually at the Santiago Bernabeu rather than Valdebebas because the training centre is close to the Madrid circuit used for Formula 1 racing.

Despite the confirmation that the dispute has ended, the evidence suggests the Tchouameni-Valverde partnership will not be Real Madrid’s first-choice midfield combination this season for purely technical reasons.

According to Herraiz, the position currently occupied by the France international will eventually be taken by Bernardo Silva, followed by Arda Guler. The Turkey international is currently playing in a more advanced role but is expected gradually to move deeper and operate as a holding midfielder.

Herraiz cited Luka Modric and Toni Kroos as examples of how such a change can work.

“It happened with Luka Modric, who used to play much further forward before moving back,” he said. “The same happened with Toni Kroos, who arrived from Bayern Munich as an attacking midfielder and ended up playing in a double-pivot.”

He added: “Both of them led Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles. Some people said at the time that they could not play together because they were too old. My goodness, I would want either of them now.”