Jose Mourinho's Return to Real Madrid: Impact on Liverpool's Transfer Plans

Jose Mourinho’s looming return to Real Madrid is already reshaping the summer market – and the ripple could reach all the way to Anfield.

The Portuguese coach is expected to be confirmed as Madrid’s new head coach, with multiple leading outlets aligning on the same story: the Bernabéu is bracing for a second Mourinho era. That does not just mean a change of touchline posture. It means a change of profile in the middle of the pitch.

Mourinho’s first demand: a destroyer

Spanish outlet Cope reports that Mourinho has identified a new defensive midfielder as a priority and has set his sights on Morten Hjulmand of Sporting CP. The Dane has attracted interest from across Europe after a standout season in Portugal, and Madrid are now ready to step into that race.

Hjulmand fits the Mourinho template: disciplined, combative, positionally sharp. If the deal gathers pace, it will not just be another expensive piece added to Madrid’s collection. It could trigger a chain reaction.

Because Real already have two elite, defensive-minded midfielders – and that is where Liverpool come in.

Door creaks open for Liverpool

Liverpool have tracked Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga for several windows. Both have been consistently linked with a move to Anfield, and Tchouameni himself admitted in an interview with Le Parisien that he came close to joining the Reds back in 2022 before choosing Madrid.

Now, circumstances might finally be shifting.

Reports in England, including from the Telegraph, suggest Tchouameni could be allowed to leave this summer, with Manchester United monitoring the situation. If Mourinho arrives and insists on bringing in Hjulmand to anchor his midfield, the Frenchman suddenly looks more expendable.

Liverpool’s need is obvious. They require a specialist defensive midfielder to lock down the centre of the pitch, a role that has never truly been replaced at the level of peak Fabinho. Tchouameni, still only in his mid‑twenties, remains one of the most complete holding midfielders in Europe. If Madrid open the door, the fit is hard to ignore.

The Reds would face heavyweight competition – and a significant fee – but the dynamics are different when a club is willing to negotiate rather than simply fend off suitors. Mourinho’s preference for his own trusted profile of destroyer could be the crack Liverpool have been waiting for.

Tchouameni under pressure in Madrid

The timing is delicate for Tchouameni. As of 20 May 2026, the midfielder has racked up 49 appearances this season, a figure that underlines how important he has been on paper. Yet the atmosphere around the club is anything but settled.

Barcelona have just secured back‑to‑back La Liga titles, a scenario that always turns up the heat at the Bernabéu. Under that pressure, fault lines have started to show. Earlier this month, Tchouameni was involved in a physical training‑ground clash with teammate Federico Valverde. President Florentino Pérez moved quickly to play down the incident, but the details still seeped into the media, fuelling talk of unrest.

One altercation does not define a player’s future, yet it adds another layer to a complicated picture. A new coach, a new preferred signing in Hjulmand, a fanbase demanding a response to Barcelona’s dominance – it all creates a volatile backdrop for any player not deemed absolutely untouchable.

For a club like Liverpool, watching from a distance, this is exactly the kind of fault line they look to exploit.

A summer of hard decisions

Nothing is signed. Mourinho has not yet been officially unveiled. Hjulmand remains a Sporting CP player. Tchouameni is still contracted to Real Madrid.

But the outlines of the summer are already visible. If Mourinho walks through the door and gets his midfield enforcer, Real Madrid will have to decide: double down on Tchouameni and Camavinga, or cash in on one of their most valuable assets to reshape the squad?

And if that asset is Tchouameni, Liverpool – and their rivals in Manchester – will have a rare chance to test Madrid’s resolve.

The next move belongs to the Bernabéu.