Overview
- Florentino Pérez is prepared to dismiss interim coach Álvaro Arbeloa after a trophyless season, according to reports published Friday, though some board members want him to stay and a final call is expected in June.
- Multiple outlets report that José Mourinho has been offered to Madrid by agent Jorge Mendes and that his Benfica deal includes a no-fee exit clause that must be triggered within ten days of Benfica’s final match in mid‑May, creating urgency.
- Mourinho has refused to guarantee he will remain at Benfica next season and is planning ahead in Lisbon, yet coverage says he would consider a return if Madrid call and no formal negotiations have been confirmed.
- Kylian Mbappé liked an Instagram post linking Mourinho to Madrid this week, a move that drew wide attention, and Arbeloa told reporters Thursday that such likes do not matter and that he gives them no importance.
- Shortlists reported by Spanish and international outlets still include Jürgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino, Didier Deschamps and Lionel Scaloni, signaling that Madrid are surveying experienced options whose arrival could drive summer squad changes and reset dressing-room authority.