Jose Mourinho is back in the headlines and, honestly, did anyone expect anything less? According to Thursday's papers, the Special One is casting his eye over Mateo Gvardiol and Bruno Fernandes as potential targets for Real Madrid. Whether Mourinho actually ends up at the Bernabeu is another question entirely, but the rumour mill is spinning and people are talking, so here we are.
Let's start with Gvardiol. The Croatian defender has been one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League since joining Manchester City, and it is no surprise that a club like Real Madrid would be sniffing around. He is quick, comfortable on the ball, and still only in his early twenties. If Mourinho genuinely wants him, he has good taste. City would not let him go cheaply, mind you, and they really shouldn't.
Now, Bruno Fernandes. As a Manchester United fan, this one stings a little differently. Bruno has had his inconsistencies at Old Trafford — anyone who has watched United regularly knows the maddening highs and lows that come with him — but the lad can genuinely play football. If Real Madrid come calling with serious money, it would be very hard for United to keep him, especially given the club's current financial situation. That is not a fun sentence to type.
The bigger question here is whether Mourinho actually gets the Real Madrid job. He has history with the club, and not all of it is warm and fuzzy. The Spanish press have not always been kind to him, and Real Madrid's dressing room is not exactly famous for being low-maintenance. It feels like a headline that could disappear by next week.
Still, Mourinho targeting established Premier League names would make sense for a man who knows the market well and loves a player with a point to prove. Whether either move happens is a long way from certain, but both Gvardiol and Fernandes would genuinely improve most clubs in Europe, Real Madrid included.
Let me know your thoughts.