Mourinho says Real Madrid squad is complete despite failed Rodri transfer

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho says he is satisfied with his squad and does not expect any more signings before the transfer window closes, despite the club’s unsuccessful attempt to bring in Rodri.

The Spanish side made significant changes during the summer, adding six players to their squad. Record signing Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella were among the arrivals.

However, Real Madrid were unable to complete a deal for Rodri. Silva is therefore the only major midfield addition following the departures of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in recent seasons.

“For me the squad is closed, but the market is still open,” Mourinho told reporters. “You never know if a player will come and say, ‘I’ve been benched twice and I want to leave’.

“In theory no (more deals), but something could always happen. In my head the squad is closed, and I have not asked for anyone. I am very happy with the players I have.”

Mourinho’s side opened their La Liga campaign with a narrow 2-1 victory away to Espanyol on Saturday. Silva and Federico Valverde started together in midfield in that match.

Real Madrid will host Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday as they attempt to make it two wins from two league games.

Mourinho confirmed that Aurelien Tchouameni will not be available for the fixture because the France midfielder has not completed his recovery.

“He’s got a problem, the holiday time wasn’t enough for him to recover,” Mourinho said.

“You can finish a season suffering, the last couple of months, but you can’t start in August not at 100%.

“So we decided with him, the staff, the medical department, to get him to return at 100%.”

The manager also expressed his confidence in Valverde’s ability to operate at the heart of the midfield. The Uruguay international has previously been deployed at right-back and on the wing, but Mourinho sees the player’s main role as being in the centre of the pitch.

“For me he is a player for the centre of the pitch,” Mourinho said.

“Depending on the opponent and our objectives, he might be more set in his position or more mobile.”

Mourinho said the demands of the modern game meant players could not always be assigned to one fixed midfield position.

“I don’t want to identify Tchouameni as the No. 6, Camavinga No. 6, Fede No. 8, Bernardo No. 10,” he said. “Things dilute during games.”

Real Madrid’s reshaped squad will now be tested by Real Sociedad, with Mourinho having ruled out the need for further recruitment in the immediate future. While he left open the possibility of an unexpected departure before the transfer window shuts, he stressed that he has not requested another player and is content with the options currently available to him.