Real Madrid defender on track to return from injury by end of September

Ferland Mendy's initial years at Real Madrid made a strong case for the player to be seen as the best left-back in the world. His career, however, has taken a downward spiral in recent times.

Over the past few seasons, Mendy has simply struggled to maintain his fitness and has repeatedly suffered injuries to the point where he has barely strung two starts together.

His blows have all been catastrophic ones, often requiring surgery, and the latest such intervention came in May when he ruptured the tendon of his right rectus femoris muscle and needed to go under the blade. At the time, he was expected to be out for close to a year.

Nearing his return

the situation has improved and the player's recovery is progressing faster than initially expected.

As per the latest evaluations, Mendy is expected to be back from his injury by the end of September

On Wednesday, the player was already seen on the lawns of the Valdebebas, and it is clear that he is just a few months away from regaining his complete fitness. 

Jose Mourinho and Co., however, will be very cautious with the player's return given his recent struggles and poor record. After all, Real Madrid will want the player to be fit for the winter or the next summer transfer window to explore a departure.

Impossible to be a starter again

A few seasons ago, taking Mendy out of Real Madrid's starting lineup was unthinkable, but his stature at the club is no longer the same.

Real Madrid's new starting left-back. Marc Cucurella

Last season, Real Madrid signed Alvaro Carreras as a new starting left-back and the player did decently until he lost his way towards the end of the campaign.

This summer, they have taken one more step ahead by signing Marc Cucurella and all signs point to the World Cup winner being a regular starter in Mourinho's dynamics. With Carreras firmly placed as the first-choice backup, minutes will be hard to come by for Mendy even if he stays fit.

The best outcome for all parties involved, thus, would be for the player to stay fit and leave on loan or permanently in a nearby transfer window.

Michael Olise will not force 2026 move to Real Madrid

Real Madrid are looking to add to their four signings already made this summer, and by far the biggest could be Michael Olise. Florentino Perez has ambitions to bring the French winger to the Bernabeu, and he's been handed a boost in recent weeks as it's been reported that the player wants to go to the Spanish capital.

Olise is seen as the ideal player to complete Real Madrid's attack alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham. However, it's still unlikely that he ends up joining in 2026, with Christian Falk confirming that the 24-year-old does not intend to force an exit from Bayern between now and the end of the summer.

"Michael Olise told his French national teammates that he would like to join Real Madrid at some stage, but he's unlikely to force an exit from Bayern Munich this summer. Everyone is allowed to dream about a transfer to Real Madrid and wearing the famous white jersey. But Olise also knows that Bayern have a contract with him until 2029, and the club have made it absolutely clear that he's not for sale this summer. There have been no talks between FC Bayern and their right winger about this topic at the time of writing. Neither the Frenchman nor his agent have knocked on the door, but there have been talks, as we already know, between the two club presidents, Herbert Hainer and Florentino Pérez."

Slim chance for Olise deal in late August

Despite this, Falk has also recognised that there is a small chance that things could change later in the summer, although it would depend on Bayern sorting a replacement beforehand.

"After these talks, I think Real Madrid recognised that there isn't an opportunity to sign Michael Olise in the current transfer window. I'm not sure if this will be the absolute last word on this point. It could be hot right at the end of the summer window. Real Madrid do like to do a late deal, while Bayern tends to go early with their business. But then that's also a sign that this just won't work, as FC Bayern wouldn't be able to sign a replacement for Olise anyway."

What's next for Michael Olise (24) at FC Bayern? The French star has been giving it serious thought during the World Cup. According to SPORT BILD, the attacking midfielder is keen to move to Real Madrid this summer. Olise has already informed his teammates in the French national team of this wish, but there has been no discussion with FC Bayern about it yet. However, he has been in contact with France captain Kylian Mbappé (27).

Olise shares a close friendship with the World Cup Golden Boot winner (ten goals). This friendship is largely responsible for his desire to move to Madrid right now. As SPORT BILD has learned, Mbappé is a strong advocate for Olise's transfer. During the World Cup, the Real Madrid superstar actively courted his national teammate. Mbappé tried to illustrate to Olise how well the two could harmonize on the pitch at Real Madrid. He assured Olise that Real Madrid needed and wanted him. Furthermore, Mbappé raved about life in Madrid, its exclusive restaurants, and the warm weather.

Mbappé is participating in Olise poker

The arguments worked. According to SPORT BILD, after France's 2-0 semi-final defeat against Spain, Mbappé informed Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez (79) that he had received positive signals from Olise regarding a transfer. A key factor in this is a specific competition: the Champions League. Following the World Cup disappointment with France, Olise's desire to quickly win a major title has intensified dramatically. The winger is increasingly doubtful that he will achieve this with Bayern Munich. Olise believes his chances of winning the Champions League are significantly higher in Madrid.

Real Madrid has not yet approached him or his team. Pérez already made the following agreement with Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer (72) back in June: They would never poach a player from each other without first informing the respective club of their interest. This presidential pact between Munich and Madrid still stands.

Good news for Bayern: The London-born Frenchman has no release clause with the German record champions. Bayern sporting director Max Eberl (52) told SPORT BILD at the end of March: "Michael has a contract with us until 2029, without a release clause – we're relaxed." Furthermore, the Munich club intends to sit down with Olise after his three-week World Cup leave and entice him with a contract extension including a substantial pay raise. According to SPORT BILD, there are concrete internal discussions at FC Bayern about increasing the attacking player's annual salary, estimated at around €14 million, to approximately €25 million. Only Mbappé earns more in Madrid.

Olise is now pushing for talks with Bayern's management. He wants to see how the club plans to remain competitive in the Champions League. Winning the title is his main motivation for the coming years. Whether or not Olise submits his transfer request to the club's bosses this summer could depend on the outcome of these upcoming talks with Bayern.

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Madrid prospects in play as Fulham pushes for two Real Madrid talents

The Cottagers want the striker permanently but are still preparing their offer and the striker’s decision. The Argentinian is considering a loan.

Real Madrid’s preseason is barely underway, and two young players — Gonzalo and Franco Mastantuono — are already at the center of major decisions that could shape their futures. José Mourinho wants both prospects in camp before sitting down with them to define their roles in his new project. But Fulham, led by former Madrid academy coach Álvaro Arbeloa, is pushing hard from London to bring both players to the Premier League.

Gonzalo: Fulham wants a permanent deal

Fulham’s interest in Gonzalo is the most aggressive. The club is preparing a full transfer offer that they hope will convince Real Madrid to sell.

Gonzalo’s first instinct is to stay and fight for a place under Mourinho this summer — especially before the transfer window closes — but he knows minutes will be scarce. With Kylian Mbappé and Endrick ahead of him, his opportunities could be limited.

The Premier League is a long‑held dream for the young forward, and the chance to reunite with Arbeloa — who helped elevate his game both in Madrid’s academy and during his first‑team appearances — makes the move even more tempting.

Mastantuono: crowded competition on the right

Franco Mastantuono faces a similar dilemma. The right side of Madrid’s attack is stacked, especially if Mourinho settles on a 4‑2‑3‑1. Competing with Arda Güler, Brahim Díaz, and Rodrygo for the right‑side playmaker role is a steep climb for an 18‑year‑old still developing his game.

His representatives worry about a familiar pattern: young players signed by Madrid, loaned out, and never fully breaking through when they return.

Fulham’s proposal for Mastantuono is a straight one‑season loan, keeping Madrid in full control of his long‑term future. Other clubs are circling too — including River Plate, his former team, and Como, where Jacobo Ramón and Nico Paz impressed last season.

The deal with the biggest financial upside

The move that could bring the most money into Madrid’s coffers is Gonzalo’s. Everything hinges on Fulham’s final offer and a decisive conversation between Mourinho and the striker. Only then will Gonzalo make his choice.

In both cases — Gonzalo and Mastantuono — Arbeloa is the driving force behind Fulham’s push, determined to secure both players for the club’s Premier League campaign.

Real Madrid will continue their pre-season preparations this Friday with an internal training match against Alcorcon at Valdebebas, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Although the fixture resembles a pre-season friendly, the club does not officially classify it as one, instead treating it as a training exercise designed to build match fitness and evaluate players ahead of the new campaign.

Focus on preparation

The session will allow Jose Mourinho to continue assessing his squad in a competitive environment without the pressure of an official pre-season fixture.

Real Madrid began training more than a week ago at Valdebebas, with a handful of senior players who were not involved in the World Cup and a large number of academy prospects.

This week has seen the return of the first batch of players who took part in the World Cup, with Arda Guler reporting on Monday and Federico Valverde returning today, both of whom had crashed out at the group stage.

Mourinho's Real Madrid will play a training match on Friday. (Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website)

In the coming days, the likes of Vinicius Jr., Endrick, Bernardo Silva, and Denzel Dumfries are expected to report to pre-season training.

Meanwhile, the planned lineup for the training match against Alcorcon on Friday is expected to feature six first-team players alongside five academy prospects, giving several young players another opportunity to impress the coaching staff.

The match forms part of Real Madrid's gradual buildup before the start of the new season.

Another training fixture planned

A similar training match has already been scheduled for July 28, when Real Madrid will face Leganes at Valdebebas under the same format.

Like Friday's encounter, the Spanish capital giants view that match as part of their internal preparation rather than an official pre-season friendly.

Official friendlies still to come

More games await in the coming weeks. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)

Real Madrid's first official pre-season matches will arrive shortly afterward.

The team is scheduled to face Fiorentina on August 1 in Austira, before taking on Deportivo La Coruna on August 12 in the Teresa Herrera Trophy.

Another friendly against Schalke is in the works, which could be played on August 16 in Germany.

These fixtures will serve as Mourinho's final opportunities to fine-tune the squad before the 2026/27 La Liga season begins.

Although Alvaro Arbeloa was unable to salvage the 2025-26 season for Real Madrid after having taken over from Xabi Alonso in January, the Spanish coach has still left a meaningful legacy at the Merengue club.

His stint on the Real Madrid bench was particularly helpful for some of the youngsters from the youth academy, several of whom made their debuts with the first team under him.

One such youngster was the midfielder Cesar Palacios, who made his debut with the first team in the very first game of Arbeloa's stint, i.e., the Copa del Rey tie against Albacete that unfortunately ended in a 3-2 defeat for Los Blancos, and thus ended their Copa del Rey campaign.

After that, he also made his Champions League debut in February, in the win against Benfica, and his La Liga debut in March, in the 1-2 win against Celta Vigo. In total, he played in 5 La Liga games, 1 UCL game, and 1 Copa del Rey game, and accumulated around 100 minutes with the first team.

Going into the next season, he is not expected to remain at Real Madrid, as the Merengues want him to join another side to continue his growth and development. In this regard, he has several interesting suitors.

In this regard, the journalist Joel Guerrero reports that the Como manager Cesc Fabregas is still committed to signing the young midfielder, and will do everything possible to get him, despite having signed another player with a similar profile, namely, Mattia Liberali.

Cesar Palacios had recently even reached an agreement with the Italian side, but a written contract was not signed. In recent days, he has moved away from Como. Meanwhile, Fulham, whom Arbeloa had asked to explore his signing, have yet to contact the midfielder.

Going forward, it remains to be seen how he will leave Real Madrid and where Cesar Palacios will be playing next season, but there is no doubt that both Como and Fulham will provide him with a very good opportunity to play at the highest level and continue his growth.Although Alvaro Arbeloa was unable to salvage the 2025-26 season for Real Madrid after having taken over from Xabi Alonso in January, the Spanish coach has still left a meaningful legacy at the Merengue club.

His stint on the Real Madrid bench was particularly helpful for some of the youngsters from the youth academy, several of whom made their debuts with the first team under him.

One such youngster was the midfielder Cesar Palacios, who made his debut with the first team in the very first game of Arbeloa's stint, i.e., the Copa del Rey tie against Albacete that unfortunately ended in a 3-2 defeat for Los Blancos, and thus ended their Copa del Rey campaign.

After that, he also made his Champions League debut in February, in the win against Benfica, and his La Liga debut in March, in the 1-2 win against Celta Vigo. In total, he played in 5 La Liga games, 1 UCL game, and 1 Copa del Rey game, and accumulated around 100 minutes with the first team.

Going into the next season, he is not expected to remain at Real Madrid, as the Merengues want him to join another side to continue his growth and development. In this regard, he has several interesting suitors.

In this regard, the journalist Joel Guerrero reports that the Como manager Cesc Fabregas is still committed to signing the young midfielder, and will do everything possible to get him, despite having signed another player with a similar profile, namely, Mattia Liberali.

Cesar Palacios had recently even reached an agreement with the Italian side, but a written contract was not signed. In recent days, he has moved away from Como. Meanwhile, Fulham, whom Arbeloa had asked to explore his signing, have yet to contact the midfielder.

Going forward, it remains to be seen how he will leave Real Madrid and where Cesar Palacios will be playing next season, but there is no doubt that both Como and Fulham will provide him with a very good opportunity to play at the highest level and continue his growth.

🚨🚨💣 𝐌𝐀𝐉𝐎𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: Real Madrid have CHANGED THEIR MIND, they will go for RODRI. Its decided. The player will do his part. @ramonalvarezdemon

▪️Personal agreement between Real Madrid & Rodri will NOT be a problem.

Real Madrid have DECIDED to SIGN RODRI. They must find a deal with Manchester City.

Real Madrid have their LIMITS, they will not pay a lot for a player with only 1 year left on his contract. @ramonalvarezdemon

🚨💣🇪🇸 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃: Real Madrid members WANT RODRI. They believe signing a Spanish, Madrid-born, World Cup winner & Spain captain would be BENEFICIAL.

The obstacle remains Florentino Perez. u/ellarguero

▪️Real Madrid are internally reassessing Rodri’s situation!

Following his impressive World Cup performance, some members of the board are PUSHING for an agreement with the midfielder. u/matte.moretto

A frustrating decision for the fans

Real Madrid have settled their stance on a possible move for Manchester City midfielder Rodri and Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, following mounting speculation in recent weeks that both could join the Spanish club this summer.

According to The Athletic, sources inside Real Madrid have confirmed that Rodri is not part of the club's plans right now, despite his striking form for Spain and his crowning as best player at the 2026 World Cup.

That verdict flies in the face of recent reports, the latest fromMarca, which suggest Rodri strongly wants to pull on the Real Madrid shirt. Some board members are said to be pressing club president Florentino Pérez to reconsider whether the deal is viable.

Rodri's name had been heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu, especially given his wealth of experience in La Liga with former club Atlético. Club sources insist the Spanish midfielder simply does not figure in Real Madrid's plans this window.

Olise faces the same closed door. The Athletic report that Real Madrid's position has not shifted, and the club continue to deny any negotiations with Bayern Munich over the France winger.

Real had already issued an official statement rejecting claims they were in talks to sign Olise.

Bringing the player in this summer, the network confirmed, is not something Real see as achievable at this stage.

All of this comes as Real Madrid push to complete their project under José Mourinho, who wants to strengthen his squad with a new defender and an extra midfielder. The club's hierarchy, however, believe the bulk of their transfer business is done, and that the priority now is offloading players before turning to fresh signings.

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