Everyone thought Eduardo Camavinga was all but guaranteed to leave Real Madrid this summer transfer window, and even before Madridistas knew Jose Mourinho would be replacing Alvaro Arbeloa as their next manager, fans were already writing Camavinga's name on exit lists, dating all the way back to the spring when the young Frenchman was putting on disaster classes against even the lowest ranked teams in La Liga.
Mourinho had actually asked Camavinga to leave in order to help him sign other names in the middle of the park to fit his scheme better as No. 6's alongside Aurelien Tchouameni, with Rodri of Manchester City obviously being his main dream get by the end of the window but also young Mateus Fernandes - now on Tottenham Hotspur - was a key target for the Portuguese manager early on in the summer 2026 transfer window.
But Cama refused to leave, even with enticing proposals from Premier League giants like Liverpool and Manchester United on the table. To this day, Camavinga is still rejecting Man United and the others, and as he does that, he has actually been taking full advantage of his opportunities for the team under Jose Mourinho.
Eduardo Camavinga and Jose Mourinho can work
When Mou asks someone to go and they do not go, he usually ostracizes them. Just ask former Manchester United midfielder Henrik Mkhitaryan, who was therefore made to pay by enduring the worst years of his great career under Mou at Old Trafford.
But instead of casting Camavinga aside, Mourinho is playing him. And after improving in the preseason before looking decent off the bench in his first game, Camavinga got a surprise start in the middle of the park next to Fede Valverde for Real Madrid vs. Malaga.
While there were obviously bigger stars on the night like the superstar trio of Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, and, of course, the main midfield sensation himself Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga had a great game and even got praised in the press conference after the match by a very pleased Jose Mourinho.
Camavinga defended at an incredibly high level, including in his discipline and reading of the game, which are usually his big weaknesses. He is also getting more crisp on the ball, and his passing was another pleasant surprise.
Many people assumed that Camavinga and Mourinho would lead to fire works in the wrong way, but instead of imploding, Cama is starting to quietly thrive under Mou, and he proved a lot of people wrong already against Malaga; he and Mou can be a great fit.
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