Although there were rampant transfer rumors surrounding Real Madrid star defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni after a less than ideal 2025/26 season in which his biggest headline was punching out fellow star midfielder Fede Valverde like Mike Tyson, Los Blancos have fully decided against selling the Frenchman.
Many speculated that Jose Mourinho wanted to sign a new midfielder to replace the French national team starter, and the speculation had legs since Real were looking closely at a number of No. 6 options, including Mateus Fernandes (now signed with Tottenham Hotspur) and Argentina star Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea fame.
But Real Madrid backed out of those options and have instead signed Tchouameni to a brand new, long term contract complete with a not insignificant raise in wages. The new contract, though, was not the only big gesture that Mourinho made to Tchouameni.
Jose Mourinho believes in what Madridistas were worried about
According to Fabrizio Romano, while making the decision and communicating to Aurelien Tchouameni that he is 100 percent in his plans for the 2026/27 season, Jose Mourinho said behind closed doors that he fully believes in Tchou as a person. Mourinho thinks of Tchouameni as a fighter with a top mentality, and he wants that kind of a person at the club.
That is massive and confirms exactly why Mourinho did not want to sell Tchouameni despite the rumors. For Mourinho, character and fight are even more important than quality. Because while quality is a baseline trait and you need to have sufficient ability to get into Real Madrid as a team, only the players with a top mentality will truly excel and win - and Mourinho is big on that.
There were serious questions asked by Madridistas about Tchouameni's mentality after the 2025/26 season. Not only did he fight Fede Valverde, but the real concerning thing was how little he would fight to help his teammates getting slashed at or shoved around, especially in big games like El Clasico. He was coming off as weak and the opposite of the player he replaced in 2022, legendary serial Champions League winner Casemiro.
But everyone knows Tchouameni is a great guy. He is quiet but fierce and cares a lot about winning and playing well, and his mentality was a big reason why Florentino Perez signed him to Real Madrid. Mourinho is backing his mentality, and that should end any speculation about what Tchou can bring to this team. Because Mou is the best judge of that, for sure.
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