José Mourinho has made his decision on the upcoming winter transfer window, opting to complete the season with Real Madrid’s current squad, convinced he already has the players needed to compete for trophies.
According to AS, the Portuguese coach and the club’s board agree that no signings are needed in January, despite reports in recent weeks suggesting the team require reinforcements, particularly in midfield.
The 2–1 victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou reinforced that belief. Against their fiercest rivals, Madrid demonstrated their ability to handle the biggest occasions and emerge victorious from one of football’s toughest grounds.
The performances of Bernardo Silva and Arda Güler were key to strengthening confidence in the existing squad, giving Mourinho and the board an answer on the pitch to calls for fresh solutions in the transfer market.
Neither injuries nor opportunities in the market are expected to persuade the club to change course. Decisions on whether to bring back players on whom Madrid hold buy-back options will be left until later in the season.
That approach reflects Madrid’s longstanding reluctance to rely on January to reshape their team. Their last winter signing specifically intended to strengthen the first-team squad was Brahim Díaz, who arrived from Manchester City in 2019 as his contract approached its expiry.
A year later, Madrid paid €30 million to sign Reinier Jesus from Flamengo. The Brazilian, however, arrived as part of the club’s investment in young talent and began with Castilla, without managing to establish himself in the first team.
Those deals followed the arrivals of Lucas Silva and Martin Ødegaard in January 2015. The former was recruited to reinforce midfield, while the latter joined as a promising youngster and also began with the reserves. Their careers would eventually take them in different directions away from the Bernabéu.
Mourinho himself previously turned to the winter market when his team needed urgent support during his first spell in charge, beginning with Emmanuel Adebayor in January 2011.
An injury to Gonzalo Higuaín prompted the Portuguese coach to request another striker. Adebayor arrived on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season, providing an additional option alongside Karim Benzema.
Madrid intervened again in January 2013, signing Diego López from Sevilla for around €3.5 million after Iker Casillas suffered an injury. Mourinho subsequently kept faith with the new goalkeeper and handed him a starting place.
That same winter, Casemiro arrived from São Paulo to strengthen Castilla. Mourinho then gave him his first-team debut against Real Betis in April, launching a journey that would see the Brazilian become a cornerstone of a generation that won the Champions League five times.
