After a dismal campaign, Jose Mourinho and Didier Deschamps have emerged as significant possibilities to replace Alvaro Arbeloa as Real Madrid manager, putting Kylian Mbappe in the middle of yet another big shift. The uncertainty surrounding Arbeloa’s future has intensified in recent days, and inside the club, discussions about leadership, dressing-room control, and restoring authority are becoming impossible to ignore.
The situation has spiraled quickly for Real Madrid after a season marked by poor results, internal tension, and public controversies. Various reports from Spain suggest that the club no longer believes Arbeloa can recover control of the squad, especially after multiple dressing-room disputes and the recent altercation involving Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Thus, Arbeloa is now expected to leave at the end of the season after failing to guide the club back to major silverware. It is said that several players have stopped communicating with the coach, while senior figures inside the club are already preparing for a managerial transition this summer.
Mourinho emerges as Florentino Perez’s preferred choice
Jose Mourinho has rapidly become the leading candidate to return to the Santiago Bernabeu more than a decade after his first spell with the club. The Portuguese coach, currently in charge of Benfica, reportedly remains highly admired by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. According to reports from Diario AS and Matteo Moretto, “significant progress” has already been made in talks regarding Mourinho’s return.
José Mourinho, head coach of Benfica.
The club reportedly views him as the strongest personality capable of restoring order inside a fractured dressing room. Mourinho is said to be open to the move, while Benfica is already preparing contingency plans in case he departs. His current contract reportedly contains a release clause worth around $3.5 million, a fee Los Blancos would have little difficulty paying.
The growing chaos behind the scenes has only strengthened Mourinho’s case. Reports from Spain describe the atmosphere inside the dressing room as deeply divided, with players split into rival groups and tensions continuing to rise after several public disagreements.
Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid speaks to Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Benfica.
The reason behind Didier Deschamps’ rise
While Mourinho remains the clear favorite, another name has quietly climbed the shortlist: Didier Deschamps. Initially viewed as an outsider, the France manager is now considered one of the club’s most respected alternatives.
Real Madrid highly values Deschamps for his experience managing a dressing room full of superstar personalities with the France national team. Club officials reportedly believe that skill could become essential with so many strong characters currently inside the squad, including Mbappe himself.
France coach Didier Deschamps and Kylian Mbappe.
Reports from El Mundo’s Abraham Romero state that Deschamps is viewed internally as “Plan B” behind Mourinho. The French coach’s ability to maintain balance inside the France setup has reportedly impressed decision-makers at the Bernabeu.
That detail could represent a huge boost for Mbappe. The forward has spent years working under Deschamps with the France national team, winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup together and reaching another final in 2022. Inside Real Madrid, there appears to be a growing belief that familiarity and trust could help stabilize the situation around Mbappe during a turbulent period for the club.
