Mourinho return confirmed, if Pérez wins Sunday
Florentino Pérez has confirmed it outright: José Mourinho will return as Real Madrid coach if he is re-elected as president on Sunday. Pérez made the announcement Wednesday while campaigning, putting an end to weeks of speculation (1).
The election is now a straight choice between Mourinho under Pérez and whatever project challenger Enrique Riquelme would build. No subtlety, no third way, you vote Sunday and you know exactly who your manager will be.
Riquelme promised Haaland, his camp says it's not true
Enrique Riquelme went on live television and announced he had personally closed a deal for Erling Haaland. He even claimed the agreement was sealed in Marbella (4) (7).
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Haaland's camp fired back hard within hours. Father Alfie and agent Rafaela Pimenta issued a joint statement: "All very entertaining but NOT true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections" (3) (5) (8).
Riquelme has also promised Rodri from Manchester City and Liverpool's Ibrahima Konaté if he wins (6). Bold names, but after the Haaland denial, credibility is on the line.
Dumfries: 'it's the biggest club in the world'
Dutch international right-back Denzel Dumfries is on the verge of a dream move to Real Madrid, according to reports out of the Netherlands. The 30-year-old would join a select group of Dutch players to pull on the white shirt (2).
No fee or contract details have been confirmed yet.
Mac Allister's father: no contact from Madrid
Carlos Mac Allister has dismissed rumors linking his son Alexis to Real Madrid. "What has been circulating about Alexis is false. No one from Real Madrid has spoken to us so far," he said, adding there is no new information about the midfielder's situation at Liverpool (10).
One to cross off the list, at least for now.
Konaté opens up about depression
Ibrahima Konaté, one of the names being floated in the presidential campaigns, has given a deeply personal interview about battling depression following the deaths of his father and former teammate Diogo Jota.
"I had lost interest in everything… I didn't know whether to stop playing," he revealed (9).
The interview adds a human dimension to a player who could become central to Real Madrid's defensive plans depending on Sunday's result.
Fan reactions
The Haaland saga has Madridistas split between amusement and exasperation. The statement from Haaland's camp calling Riquelme's claim "NOT true" is being shared widely, with many fans treating the whole presidential debate as entertainment rather than serious transfer business. Meanwhile, reports that Mourinho has already drawn up a list of players he wants out, including Rodrygo, Camavinga, and Ceballos, have set off alarm bells, and a separate rumor that Madrid have formally notified Benfica about paying Mourinho's €15M release clause has added to the sense that this is already in motion. Read more on r/realmadrid
