José Mourinho's Squad Dilemma After €225 Million Spend

José Mourinho walked out of Budapest with a win on the pitch and a problem in his head.

Not a crisis. A calculation.

He has the power, he has the backing, and after a €225 million outlay, he has the depth. What he does not want is bloat.

“I want a short squad, 20 players plus those who are currently injured,” he made clear after the game in Hungary. It was not a throwaway line. It was a statement of intent.

Right now, he has 26 first-teamers at his disposal after the decision to keep Thiago Pitarch with the senior group. Three of them – Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo – are long-term absentees. Strip them out, and Mourinho is still three players over the number he considers optimal.

For a club that has just rearmed so aggressively, the next phase of the summer is not about buying. It is about cutting.

€225 million spent, one key target lost

Real Madrid have delivered for Mourinho in the market. Six signings, six statements.

Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konaté, Bernardo Silva and Carlos Espi have arrived at a combined cost of €225 million. That is not a rebuild in slow motion; that is a squad reshaped at speed.

The plan had one more piece. Rodri was supposed to be the final brick in Mourinho’s new spine, but the Manchester City midfielder turned Madrid down and chose Barcelona instead. That rejection has cooled Madrid’s pursuit of another midfielder for now. Inside the club, there is no expectation of a late scramble for an alternative in that position.

At centre-back, the picture is less settled. There is room for movement if the right bid lands on the table for Raúl Asencio and, crucially, if the academy graduate agrees to go. So far, he has pushed back. He wants to stay, to fight, to prove he belongs.

Mourinho’s ideal, though, is clear: a lean group, not a crowded dressing room.

Versatility over volume

The reasoning goes beyond simple numbers. Mourinho believes he can live with a smaller core because of the profile of his players.

Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva can drift across the frontline and drop into midfield zones. Jude Bellingham offers similar elasticity, comfortable as an advanced midfielder, deeper playmaker, or even as a supporting forward. Dumfries, traditionally a marauding right-back, has already been tested in more advanced roles.

This is how Mourinho justifies trimming. Fewer specialists, more chameleons.

He knows what happens when too many players see no clear path to minutes. Frustration creeps in. Training loses its edge. The atmosphere turns heavy. He has been in enough big dressing rooms to recognise the warning signs and is determined not to repeat old mistakes.

Camavinga on standby, but no real offers

One name remains quietly but persistently on the internal agenda: Eduardo Camavinga.

Madrid would still like to generate a significant fee from the French midfielder if the right proposal arrives. So far this summer, it has not. Interest exists in theory, not yet in the form of a serious bid.

Camavinga has made it known he wants to stay at the Santiago Bernabéu. He sees a future there, not a stepping stone. But the reality is simple: a concrete offer from a top-level club could flip the equation. Until then, he trains, he waits, and his situation hangs in that familiar transfer-window limbo.

Endrick stays, Mendy stuck in the middle

Endrick’s case looked like a classic loan candidate. Young, high ceiling, limited immediate space. For a while, his departure on a temporary deal felt likely.

Mourinho has shut that door. He has blocked a loan and wants the Brazilian to remain in his squad this season. That decision tightens the numbers further and shifts attention to other positions.

Left-back is the most complicated. With Marc Cucurella in and Mendy already there, the role is overcrowded. Mourinho’s trust in Mendy has been eroded by the defender’s long injury history. The club would like to resolve his situation, ideally with a move that suits all parties.

Mendy, though, does not want to leave. He is holding his ground, convinced he can still play a part. That stance turns a tactical issue into a strategic one. As long as he stays, the logjam at left-back remains.

Asencio’s setback and a market on pause

Asencio is the other player under quiet observation.

The academy product has been determined to convince Mourinho he belongs in this new project. His pre-season work reflected that: sharp, focused, committed. Then came the blow. A rectus femoris muscle injury, the kind that not only hurts but stalls momentum, will keep him out for around six weeks.

The timing could hardly be worse. Any potential buyer now has to weigh not just his ability, but his fitness and readiness. In a short window, that doubt often kills deals before they start.

So Madrid wait. They know there is excess in some areas. They know Mourinho wants to slice the squad down to something leaner, sharper, more manageable. They would welcome the chance to streamline.

But the market is stubborn, players are standing their ground, and injuries have complicated exits. As the window ticks on, the question is no longer who they can bring in.

It is whether Mourinho will be forced to start the season with a squad bigger than he ever wanted.