Dean Huijsen has walked back into Real Madrid's pre-season with familiarity on his side. He previously worked with Jose Mourinho at Roma, and when asked about the reunion he kept it simple: "I've known him before, so that's great." He added that Mourinho is "a good person" and said the aim for the season is "Lots of trophies."

Mourinho reunion and a clean slate

Real Madrid officially kicked off preparations for the 2026/27 campaign at Valdebebas, with Huijsen one of the summer signings still trying to settle into the wider picture. The mood around him is less about reintroducing himself and more about how he fits into a squad that has already been through one season of scrutiny.

The numbers around his recent league form are steady enough. Huijsen averaged a 7.1 rating across his last five La Liga appearances and played 370 minutes in that stretch. Real Madrid won 4 of their last 5 La Liga matches, a decent backdrop for a defender talking openly about trophies while also trying to reset the conversation around his own place in the side.

Competition in defence

The competition is real, and Mourinho's preferred direction makes that clear. Journalist Rubén Martín has reported that Álvaro Carreras, Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold are expected to begin the 2026/27 season lower in the pecking order, while Mourinho wants to build around Ibrahima Konaté, Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries.

That is why the reunion story only tells part of the picture. Huijsen is comfortable speaking about Mourinho, and that familiarity should help, but it does not guarantee a clean run into the XI. He remains a summer signing trying to force his way into a crowded defence, and the first real test will come once the competitive matches start.

Real Madrid finished 2nd in La Liga in 2025, so the margin for a slow start is not especially wide. The pre-season work has already begun at Valdebebas, and Huijsen's challenge is to turn a good relationship with Mourinho into something more concrete on the pitch.

FAQ

Will Dean Huijsen fit into Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid plans?

Huijsen looks comfortable with Mourinho because he has worked with him at Roma and says he is a good person. He also said he wants lots of trophies. But the picture is not settled, with reports saying Huijsen, Álvaro Carreras and Trent Alexander-Arnold are expected to begin the 2026/27 season lower in Mourinho's pecking order.

Why is Dean Huijsen's Real Madrid role still uncertain?

Real Madrid have already started preparations for the 2026/27 campaign at Valdebebas, and the squad picture is crowded. Reports say Huijsen, Álvaro Carreras and Trent Alexander-Arnold are expected to start lower in Mourinho's pecking order, while Mourinho is being linked with a defensive core built around other names.

What has Dean Huijsen said about Jose Mourinho and trophies?

Huijsen said, 'I've known him before, so that's great' and 'He's a good person.' He also said his target is 'Lots of trophies.' The comments came as Real Madrid began pre-season work at Valdebebas.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →