Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is already changing the club for the better, just as president Florentino Perez hoped when he announced bringing back the legendary Portuguese coach as his big move to help Madrid get back on the right track after back to back seasons without a trophy.
Mourinho has overhauled the defense with Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, and Ibrahima Konate, and the biggest signing yet, Inter Milan central defender Alessandro Bastoni, could still be on the way. And Enzo Fernandez and maybe one other big midfield signing could be on the way next.
Though Real Madrid are gunning for Michael Olise behind the scenes, most of the moves with the attack have been about Mourinho assuring players of their roles and that he will be the one to get the most out of them. Naturally, the focus has been on Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, as Perez largely hired Mourinho to get them to play at their best together, especially Mbappe after his difficult end to the 2025/26 season.
Rodrygo Goes remained loyal to Real Madrid
But don't forget about the R, as Jude Bellingham famously said. According to a report from Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, Jose Mourinho has assured all of Vinicius Jr., Mbappe, and Rodrygo Goes that they are in his plans for the 2026/27 season and that they have places in the squad under him.
That was always obvious for Mbappe and Vini, but it is huge to hear that Mourinho feels the same way about Rodrygo. It felt like ever since his difficult end to the 2024/25 season and the rampant transfer rumors last summer that Rodrygo would be on the periphery. With Manchester City and other big clubs dreaming of him, Rodrygo actually had the opening to leave Real Madrid last year, but the Brazilian international and 2021/22 Champions League hero decided to remain loyal to the club that plucked him from Santos in 2019.
Rodrygo suffered a season ending injury in 2025/26 that he is rehabbing from, so it is especially great to hear that Mourinho has plans for him. What those plans are, though, remain unclear, especially since Real Madrid are strongly interested in pipe dream left footed right winger Michael Olise, who is a better fit for that flank than Rodrygo.
But Rodrygo has his role and his place. He has never quite broken out into true superstardom for Real Madrid, but you cannot tell the whole story of Real's two Champions League triumphs of the 2020s without him being a key protagonist - and it seems like Mourinho knows that, too.
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