Real Madrid understand that their midfield still needs to get better this summer transfer window, as some players have shown a frustrating lack of development while legends Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were far from adequately replaced after their departures in each of the past two summer transfer windows.
Legendary manager Jose Mourinho is interested in building the spine of the midfield as a second priority to his big shake up of the defense. He already brought in Portuguese veteran Bernardo Silva as a free agent from Manchester City, but he wants a more traditional tempo setter to potentially relinquish Aurelien Tchouameni's starting job.
According to a report from Diario AS, via the Madrid Zone, Real Madrid have set their top three man short list of midfield transfer options this summer. Mourinho's apparent top choice Mateus Fernandes of West Ham United is on it, as is Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, who has been desperate to join Real for months. But the last name on the list is perhaps the most interesting, as 18 year old Lille ace Ayyoub Bouaddi has become a very hot topic around the Valdebebas after totally bossing Casemiro and the Brazil national team midfield in New Jersey over the weekend.
Real Madrid are looking at Tchouameni upgrades
There are pros and cons to all of these players, but what is noticeable is that all of them are very young, capable ball winners, and very good on the ball in terms of their ability to progress play and keep possession.
All of them would undoubtedly garner minutes over Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, with the two Frenchmen increasingly facing unclear futures from Jose Mourinho, though their sales outright are not yet written in the stars.
Mourinho seems to be willing to ask Real Madrid to pay the exorbitant 100 million euro fee for Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, though many fans will wonder if the money would be better served on Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is just as much of an unknown factor but is even younger and has even more compelling traits as a passer and tempo setter.
Real Madrid could very well sign two players, of course. Dani Ceballos is already going as a free agent after an embarrassing 2025/26 season that ruined any positive feeling around his name, and one of Eduardo Camavinga or Tchouameni will be joining him this summer. So Real would, in that sense, have room for two players on the list.
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