Real Madrid dressing room is Mourinho’s first real problem

Jose Mourinho’s expected return to Real Madrid is being framed as more than a tactical reset. The bigger issue, according to the reporting in this brief, is the state of the dressing room, with Kylian Mbappé under scrutiny, Federico Valverde caught in a dispute, and Jorge Valdano warning that a manager alone will not fix the situation.

Why the dressing room matters more than the shortlist

Valdano’s line is the sharpest summary of where this story sits. He said Mourinho “won't be the one to solve all the problems Real Madrid has” and added that “there needs to be a leadership revolution within the dressing room.” That is a much bigger job description than a summer transfer list.

The Valverde situation is the clearest sign that the issue is already internal. The brief says he was reported to be at the centre of a dressing-room dispute involving Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Thibaut Courtois was named among the players most frustrated with it. Those are not the usual noises around a clean rebuild.

Camacho also pushed back on the Mbappé backlash. He said the forward “stood his ground” at the Bernabeu and later argued that, when players of that level are involved, “things get out of hand.” Mbappé suffered a left hamstring injury against Real Betis in late April, so the injury context matters as well.

The numbers do not suggest a player suddenly gone quiet. Mbappé has 24 La Liga goals and 15 Champions League goals, and in his most recent five matches he scored 1 goal and added 1 assist. That is why the criticism feels harsher than the output.

Hjulmand is the transfer story, but not the main one

There is a football case for Morten Hjulmand, and the brief backs that up. Rui Borges called Real Madrid’s interest in him natural and said his quality is evident to everyone. Hjulmand has also been linked with a fee in the region of €50 million.

The financial picture is still not as tidy as that sounds. Sporting CP’s contract talk suggests a release clause worth around €80 million, but an agreement may exist to let him leave for closer to €50 million. That is the kind of detail clubs leak when a deal is possible but not closed.

Hjulmand’s 27 Primeira Liga appearances and 7.3 league rating also explain why he is being viewed as a ready-made midfield anchor. If Mourinho gets his way, that would be a useful addition. It just does not look like the headline issue.

The headline issue is a squad with friction already showing in public. Mourinho may still want a midfielder, but the first job looks closer to sorting authority inside Real Madrid than drawing up a clean tactical blueprint.