Marco Silva is leaving Fulham waiting, but the bigger managerial move sits in Lisbon and Madrid. Benfica are bracing to lose Jose Mourinho after he emerged as the strongest candidate for the Real Madrid job, with a summer decision now building around him.
David Ornstein said Mourinho is Florentino Perez’s preferred choice to take over in the summer. Fabrizio Romano added that Mourinho is ready to go to Real Madrid if offered the job, while also saying the club will only move for Jurgen Klopp if he puts himself back on the market as a manager.
Benfica Track Mourinho
Mourinho is Benfica’s current boss, but AS reported that the club are braced for a possible exit to Madrid. The same report said Benfica want him to continue the project he began last September for at least one more season.
That push has stalled. AS said repeated efforts from club president Rui Costa and his team to extend Mourinho’s contract have not moved forward, leaving Benfica trying to hold on while Real Madrid weigh their next appointment.
Real Madrid Summer Plan
Real Madrid sacked Xabi Alonso in January and replaced him with Alvaro Arbeloa, although it was unclear whether Arbeloa was brought in permanently or only until the end of the season. The next managerial call sits inside a broader summer rebuild rather than a standalone move.
Whoever gets the job is set to inherit a substantial transfer budget. The new project includes four new signings for €130m at a minimum, with Manchester City’s Rodri, Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck, Como’s Nico Paz and Osasuna’s Víctor Munoz lined up as the first four additions.
Romano framed the scale of the summer plainly: “It is going to be a very special and busy summer at Real Madrid. We know there are several situations, players leaving, players arriving, players returning, and also the manager.” He also said, “For Jurgen Klopp, either he puts himself back in the market as a manager, or Real Madrid will not disturb his agreement with the Red Bull group. So it depends on Klopp.”
For Benfica, the issue is no longer just contract talks. Rui Costa wants Mourinho to stay, but Madrid’s pull now sits at the center of the market and could force the Portuguese club into a replacement search before the summer settles.
