Jose Mourinho is preparing for a dramatic return to Real Madrid as the Spanish giants attempt to recover from another disappointing campaign.
Los Blancos finished the 2025/26 season without a major trophy for the second consecutive year despite the arrival of Kylian Mbappe last summer.
The French superstar scored 42 goals in all competitions, but Real Madrid still struggled badly with inconsistency throughout the campaign.
Xabi Alonso started the season as manager but lost his job in January after failing to improve performances.
Alvaro Arbeloa then arrived as interim coach, although results continued to decline.
Real Madrid eventually crashed out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals while Barcelona secured another La Liga title.
Meanwhile, reports also emerged about serious dressing-room tension inside the squad. That is why Florentino Pérez decided to bring back Mourinho.
The Portuguese manager is viewed as the ideal figure to restore discipline and authority inside a dressing room filled with superstars.
Now, Mourinho is already identifying targets ahead of his second spell at the Santiago Bernabeu.
According to The Mirror, the Portuguese manager wants to reunite with Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori at Real Madrid.
Mourinho previously worked with the Italian defender during his time as Roma manager between 2021 and 2024.
However, Calafiori struggled to establish himself under Mourinho and eventually left Roma for Basel in 2022 for just £1.5 million.
The defender returned to Italy with Bologna before Arsenal paid £42 million to sign him following an outstanding season.
Calafiori then became part of an Arsenal side that finally ended the club’s 22-year wait for a Premier League title.
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