Mourinho's Real Madrid blueprint hinges on Mbappé and Bellingham

Real Madrid and manager José Mourinho are already shaping next season’s squad, with the club having already spent roughly €100 million and planning key roles for Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé, 4‑2‑3‑1 formation while scouting additional centre‑backs and midfielders. Real Madrid is targeting Denzel Dumfries as a competitor for Trent Alexander‑Arnold, Marc Cucurella as a new left back, Ibrahima Konaté as an experienced centre defender, and Bernardo Silva as a creative midfielder. The club’s immediate focus is on adding another centre back and a midfielder, while a striker is not ruled out. For the centre‑back slot, Alessandro Bastoni (27) of Internazionale and Nico Schlotterbeck (26) of Borussia Dortmund are the main candidates; the German’s ankle injury remains uncertain.

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In midfield, Enzo Fernández is the leading prospect, with Ayyoub Bouaddi also monitored but not a priority; AZ’s Kees Smit is another option mentioned by The Athletic. Real Madrid is reviewing offers for Aurélien Tchouaméni to free up space in midfield; Eduardo Camavinga is determined to stay, and Federico Valverde is not for sale despite a reported dispute with Tchouaméni.

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Mourinho intends to deploy a 4‑2‑3‑1 system, assigning Bellingham the number‑ten role; Mbappé will spearhead the attack alongside Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior, though Mourinho would still like a pure striker, albeit not a priority. Diario AS describes Mbappé as the cornerstone of the project, noting that Konaté and Silva, a close friend from their Monaco days, are part of the plan to let the French star flourish. "The magnet of the project is Kylian. He is considered the standard-bearer, the leader and the pivotal figure," the outlet reported.