On Tuesday news broke that Benfica manager Jose Mourinho was the preferred candidate to replace Real Madrid’s Alvaro Arbeloa this summer. The Portuguese coach is reportedly keen to return to the Santiago Bernabeu, and has a clause in his Benfica contract that would allow him to do so for just €3m. Currently he has a year left on his deal there.
For some time it has been expected that Los Blancos would move on from Arbeloa, and Mourinho is reportedly the preferred choice for President Florentino Perez. Sky Sport DE report that personal terms and contract length will not get in the way of any move, and if Real Madrid do offer him the job, the deal will happen. They say his agent Jorge Mendes has been contacted too.
🚨👑 Jorge Mendes and Florentino Perez have been in direct talks for days over Jose #Mourinho. Personal terms and contract length are not an issue.
Mourinho is 100% ready to return to Real Madrid. If the final decision falls in his favour, then it will be Mourinho. As reported… pic.twitter.com/7mZxximuyj
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) April 28, 2026
Mourinho one of two finalists for Real Madrid job
According to El Chiringuito, Mourinho is one of two finalists for the job, the other being Jurgen Klopp. The former Liverpool manager has been heavily linked with Real Madrid since the exit of Xabi Alonso, but has distanced himself from the job, and Los Blancos will have to convince him to take it. If they do not do so, then Mourinho is in pole position to take the job.
🚨🚨 EXCLUSIVA @jpedrerol 🚨🚨
💣 “KLOPP y MOURINHO son los CANDIDATOS FINALISTAS para ENTRENAR al REAL MADRID”.
👀 “Deschamps también tiene opciones, pero el Madrid no ha contactado con ninguno”. pic.twitter.com/oeZNVmX3WA
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) April 29, 2026
Didier Deschamps still in the picture
They go on to say that the third manager in Real Madrid’s thinking is France coach Didier Deschamps, who has agreed to leave the French national team after the World Cup this summer. In recent weeks, L’Equipe (via MD) say that Deschamps camp have denied that he is a candidate for the job.
The other candidates
Back in January, the name of Massimiliano Allegri came up, and since, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino have all been mentioned. They all belong to a third group that will only be considered if Mourinho, Klopp and Deschamps do not work out, as per El Chiringuito. Before revealing the Mourinho news, The Athletic had also reported that Pochettino should ‘still be considered a strong candidate’.
One of the developments this week though has been that Perez is likely to lead the selection process, and that perhaps weakens Pochettino’s position. The Real Madrid president seems likely to go for an experienced manager with a strong character, something that unites Mourinho, Deschamps and Klopp.
