What Is Real Madrid Still Missing Before the Season Begins?
After90
Report 5 — Real Madrid 2026–27: The Comeback Project
Real Madrid have already changed a lot.
José Mourinho has returned.
The squad has been strengthened across several positions.
Vinícius Júnior’s future has been secured.
Bernardo Silva adds control.
Konaté adds power and recovery pace.
Dumfries adds width.
Cucurella adds flexibility.
Carlos Espí offers a different type of striker.
Yan Diomande adds another major one-on-one threat.
On paper, this now looks like one of the deepest and most versatile squads in Europe.
So the obvious question becomes:
What is still missing?
The answer is probably not another superstar.
Real Madrid’s biggest remaining needs are less glamorous — but potentially more important.
They need fitness.
They need time.
They need hierarchy.
They need midfield control to become automatic rather than dependent on individuals.
They need defensive continuity.
And above all, they need to turn an impressive transfer window into a functioning team.
1. The Biggest Missing Piece Is Time
This may sound strange for a club that has spent heavily and assembled an extraordinary squad.
But Mourinho’s biggest enemy before the season may simply be the calendar.
The World Cup disrupted preseason.
Several important players returned later than others.
Some new signings arrived at different stages.
Others are still recovering from injuries.
That matters because Madrid are not simply changing personnel.
They are changing:
- Coach.
- Defensive structure.
- Pressing principles.
- Full-back roles.
- Midfield relationships.
- Attacking spacing.
- Player hierarchy.
These things require repetitions.
They require players to recognise situations without needing instructions from the bench.
A team cannot learn that overnight.
2. Madrid Need a Healthy Squad More Than Another Signing
The current injury situation may be the most important short-term concern.
There is a clear difference between:
squad depth on paper
and
squad depth actually available to Mourinho.
Madrid can theoretically possess excellent depth at centre-back.
But if several players are unavailable while others are still building fitness, the situation changes quickly.
The same applies in attack.
Rodrygo may not currently be central to the projected starting XI, but a healthy Rodrygo gives Mourinho another high-level option across multiple attacking positions.
The priority therefore should be:
Recover players before replacing them.
Another signing does not automatically solve a fitness problem.
3. Centre-Back Depth Is Strong — but Temporarily Fragile
When everyone is healthy, Madrid appear well covered.
Potential centre-back options include:
- Ibrahima Konaté.
- Dean Huijsen.
- Antonio Rüdiger.
- Éder Militão.
- Raúl Asencio.
- Academy options.
That is enough.
But preseason availability can tell a different story.
Madrid do not necessarily need another centre-back permanently.
What they need is:
- Konaté integrated quickly.
- Militão fully recovered.
- Asencio available again.
- Rüdiger managed physically.
- Huijsen protected from excessive workload.
If those conditions are met, the position is strong.
If injuries continue, it could quickly become a weakness again.
4. Madrid Still Need to Establish Their First-Choice Defensive Partnership
Having five centre-backs is not the same as having a settled defence.
Defensive partnerships require repetition.
The two central defenders need to understand:
- Who attacks the striker?
- Who covers?
- When does the line step forward?
- Who follows runners?
- Who protects the space behind Trent?
- How high can they defend?
- When does Tchouaméni drop between them?
My preferred long-term combination remains:
Konaté + Huijsen
because their profiles complement each other.
But Mourinho must eventually stop experimenting and establish a first-choice partnership.
A title-winning defence needs alternatives.
But it also needs familiarity.
5. The Squad Still Lacks One Obvious Thing: A Natural Deep Controller
This is the one area where Madrid could still consider the market.
Not another winger.
Not another striker.
Not another attacking midfielder.
If there is one profile that could genuinely improve the squad, it is a midfielder capable of controlling the game from the base of midfield.
Madrid have excellent midfielders.
Tchouaméni
Provides defensive protection.
Valverde
Provides energy and transition power.
Camavinga
Provides carrying, pressing and mobility.
Bellingham
Provides progression and attacking presence.
Bernardo Silva
Provides technical control.
Arda Güler
Provides creativity.
But none of them is naturally a classic deep-lying tempo controller whose primary identity is:
receive → organise → dictate → repeat.
6. Does Madrid Actually Need to Buy That Player?
Not necessarily.
This is important.
The squad already contains enough quality to create that function collectively.
There are several possible solutions.
Solution A: Bernardo Drops Deeper
Bernardo can play beside Tchouaméni and help control possession.
Solution B: Trent Inverts Into Midfield
Trent can become an additional playmaker from right-back.
Solution C: Güler Develops Into a Deeper Creator
Against certain opponents, Güler could gradually take more responsibility in the first and second phases of possession.
Solution D: Camavinga Evolves
If Camavinga improves his positional discipline and tempo management, he could eventually provide more control from deeper areas.
Therefore Madrid should not sign a midfielder simply because one is available.
But if a genuinely elite controlling midfielder becomes available:
That is the one position I would still investigate.
7. Madrid Definitely Do Not Need Another Superstar Forward
This is where the club should be disciplined.
The attacking options are already enormous.
Depending on fitness and tactical roles, Mourinho can choose from players such as:
- Mbappé.
- Vinícius.
- Diomande.
- Bellingham.
- Bernardo Silva.
- Güler.
- Brahim Díaz.
- Endrick.
- Carlos Espí.
- Rodrygo.
- Mastantuono.
Adding another major attacking name could create more problems than solutions.
At this point, another forward would mean:
- Fewer minutes for developing players.
- More difficult hierarchy management.
- More positional overlap.
- More pressure to fit famous players into the XI.
- Less tactical clarity.
Madrid already have enough attacking talent.
The job now is to organise it.
8. The Right Side Needs a Hierarchy — Not Another Player
Madrid have almost the opposite problem on the right.
There may be too many options.
Possible right-sided players include:
- Trent Alexander-Arnold.
- Denzel Dumfries.
- Bernardo Silva.
- Yan Diomande.
- Brahim Díaz.
- Rodrygo.
- Franco Mastantuono.
That is extraordinary depth.
But Mourinho needs to establish a hierarchy.
Who is the first-choice right winger?
Who starts at right-back?
When does Bernardo play there?
When do Trent and Dumfries play together?
Where does Mastantuono receive minutes?
What happens when Rodrygo returns?
Without clarity, squad depth can become squad frustration.
9. Mourinho Must Decide What Rodrygo Is in This Team
Rodrygo represents one of the most interesting unresolved sporting questions.
This is not primarily a transfer question.
It is a tactical one.
When fully recovered, Rodrygo can play:
- Right wing.
- Left wing.
- Behind the striker.
- As a second forward.
That versatility has always been valuable.
But Madrid now have more specialised options in nearly every one of those positions.
Diomande can provide direct width.
Vinícius owns the left.
Bellingham can operate centrally.
Bernardo can play from the right.
Mbappé is the primary striker.
Therefore Rodrygo needs a clearly defined role when he returns.
Otherwise, he risks becoming:
a very talented player without a natural place in the structure.
10. Madrid Need to Avoid Building the Season Around 11 Players
This may sound contradictory after arguing that Mourinho needs a hierarchy.
But hierarchy does not mean using the same XI every week.
Madrid could play more than 50 competitive matches.
Some players also had long World Cup campaigns.
The squad must therefore be managed as a season-long system.
The ideal structure is:
Core Starters
Players who begin the biggest matches when fit.
Tactical Starters
Players who start depending on the opponent.
Rotation Players
Players capable of maintaining the level during heavy periods.
Specialists
Players used to solve specific tactical problems.
Carlos Espí, for example, does not need 40 starts to become valuable.
If he changes eight difficult matches against low blocks, he has served an important purpose.
Dumfries may not start every week either.
But in particular tactical scenarios he could become essential.
That is how Mourinho should use this squad.
11. The Physical Preparation Must Be Better Than Last Season
This may become one of the hidden keys to the entire project.
The objective cannot simply be:
make the players fitter.
It must be:
make the squad capable of surviving the entire season.
That requires:
- Load management.
- Rotation.
- Individualised recovery.
- Careful return-to-play plans.
- Avoiding unnecessary minutes.
- Monitoring World Cup fatigue.
A player returning from injury should not immediately be treated as if he has completed a normal preseason.
Madrid’s squad is deep enough to be patient.
They should use that advantage.
12. The New Signings Need Tactical Integration, Not Just Minutes
There is a difference between playing and integrating.
A new player can appear in five friendlies without understanding the system.
Mourinho must build relationships.
Cucurella + Vinícius
Who stays wide?
Who moves inside?
Trent + Valverde
Who protects the right side when Trent moves centrally?
Dumfries + Diomande
Who attacks the line?
Who attacks the half-space?
Bernardo + Bellingham
Who drops toward the ball?
Who attacks the box?
Konaté + Huijsen
Who steps out?
Who covers?
These relationships are more important than simply naming a formation.
A functioning team is built through:
pairs and triangles.
13. Madrid Need a Clear Set-Piece Identity
This is an area where the squad has significant potential.
Madrid possess excellent delivery options:
- Trent.
- Bernardo Silva.
- Arda Güler.
They also have major aerial targets:
- Konaté.
- Rüdiger.
- Tchouaméni.
- Bellingham.
- Dumfries.
Madrid should aim to make set pieces a genuine weapon.
Not something used only when open play fails.
Across a league season, set pieces can turn:
0–0 into 1–0.
1–1 into 2–1.
And those goals can become the difference between second place and a title.
14. The Press Still Needs a Leader
In the previous report, we discussed how Madrid may defend in a 4-4-2.
But every pressing structure needs someone to trigger it.
That could be Bellingham.
It could occasionally be Mbappé.
It could be Valverde stepping forward.
But the responsibility must be clear.
Madrid cannot repeat a situation where:
one forward presses,
another stays back,
the midfield hesitates,
and the defensive line remains deep.
The team needs a visible signal.
One player moves.
Everyone reacts.
That is what turns:
individual effort
into
collective pressure.
15. Mbappé Must Become Part of the Defensive Structure
Nobody expects Mbappé to spend the season chasing full-backs toward his own corner flag.
That would waste his greatest qualities.
But he must participate in the structure.
His defensive role can be efficient rather than exhausting.
For example:
- Block the passing lane toward the defensive midfielder.
- Curve the press toward one side.
- Press backwards passes.
- Position himself correctly when Madrid defend in a mid-block.
This sounds simple.
But it matters enormously.
If Mbappé completely disconnects from the defensive structure, Bellingham and the midfield are forced to compensate.
Mourinho must find the right compromise:
Preserve Mbappé’s energy without giving the opponent a free player.
16. Vinícius’s Renewal Solves One Problem — Now the Football Must Follow
Securing Vinícius’s future removes a major distraction before the season begins.
No weekly transfer speculation.
No constant questions about his contract.
No uncertainty regarding whether Madrid intend to build around him.
Now the challenge becomes purely sporting.
How does Mourinho get the best version of Vinícius?
How does he combine with Mbappé?
Can he remain disciplined in his starting position without losing his creativity?
Can he improve his contribution to the collective press?
Contract clarity gives everyone the opportunity to focus on those questions.
17. Madrid Need Emotional Stability
This is one area no transfer can solve.
Last season contained too much instability.
Managerial changes.
Pressure.
Tactical uncertainty.
Dressing-room tension.
A team competing for the Champions League cannot allow every difficult week to become a crisis.
Mourinho was brought back partly because of his personality and authority.
Now he must create an environment where:
- Substitutions are normal.
- Rotation is accepted.
- Poor performances are corrected internally.
- Players understand their roles.
- Competition does not become conflict.
- The team responds to defeats rather than emotionally collapsing after them.
Real Madrid will lose matches.
Every team does.
The important question is:
What happens next?
18. The First Month Needs to Be About Stability, Not Perfection
Mourinho still has some preparation time before the competitive calendar fully begins.
But not much.
The objective for the opening weeks should not be to produce the finished version of the team.
It should be to establish:
- Defensive distances.
- Pressing triggers.
- Build-up structure.
- Attacking width.
- Set-piece organisation.
- A first-choice core.
The advanced tactical variations can develop afterward.
Trying to install everything immediately could create confusion.
19. If Madrid Make One More Signing, What Should It Be?
My answer would be:
Either an elite controlling midfielder — or nobody.
Madrid should not buy another player simply because the transfer market remains open.
The current squad already has extraordinary depth.
Any additional signing should meet three conditions:
- He adds a profile the squad genuinely lacks.
- He can immediately compete at elite Champions League level.
- His arrival does not block several existing players unnecessarily.
A deep midfield controller could meet those conditions.
Another winger almost certainly would not.
Another striker probably would not.
Another attacking midfielder definitely would not.
Sometimes the best final move in the transfer market is:
Knowing when to stop.
20. The Real Missing Piece: Collective Certainty
After all the transfer spending, tactical discussion and squad analysis, the biggest thing Madrid still need cannot be purchased.
They need certainty.
Every player must know:
- Am I a starter?
- Am I a tactical option?
- What is my role?
- What happens when we lose the ball?
- Where should I be during build-up?
- Who covers me when I advance?
- What does the player next to me expect?
Great teams reduce uncertainty.
Players stop thinking about where they should stand.
They simply recognise the situation.
That is where Mourinho needs to take this squad.
Final Assessment: What Is Still Missing?
| Area | Current Situation | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Elite starter + strong backup | Low |
| Centre-back | Excellent quality, current fitness concerns | Medium |
| Full-back | Deep and tactically varied | Low |
| Defensive midfield | Strong defensively | Low |
| Deep playmaking | Can be solved internally, but one elite addition could help | Medium |
| Attacking midfield | Exceptional depth | Very Low |
| Wings | Elite depth | Very Low |
| Centre-forward | Mbappé + alternative profiles | Very Low |
| Fitness | Several important recovery situations | Very High |
| Tactical integration | Many new relationships to build | Very High |
| Role hierarchy | Still needs definition | Very High |
| Dressing-room stability | Critical after last season | Very High |
Conclusion
Real Madrid do not need another transfer window.
They need the transfer window they have already completed to start making sense on the pitch.
The squad now contains enough quality to win every competition.
The remaining questions are about:
health.
time.
organisation.
hierarchy.
control.
And perhaps, if the perfect opportunity appears, one additional midfielder capable of dictating games from deeper positions.
But another famous name will not determine whether this project succeeds.
The difference between success and failure will be whether Mourinho can turn:
new signings, returning injured players, established superstars and emerging talents
into one coherent group.
Real Madrid may already have all the pieces.
What they still need is to make those pieces fit.
And that is why the final weeks before the season may be more important than any remaining transfer rumour.