Mourinho signs Real Madrid deal ahead of June 7 vote as Gordon is unveiled at Barcelona
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José Mourinho has agreed terms to become Real Madrid's next head coach on a deal running to June 2029, with the appointment contingent on Florentino Pérez winning the club's presidential election on 7 June, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein, with the report carried by Football España and Football Today. The 63-year-old would reunite with Madrid 13 years after his first spell; his current Benfica staff — assistants João Tralhão and Pedro Machado, fitness coach António Dias and analyst Roberto Merella — are expected to follow. The club has not made an official announcement.
The Real Madrid campaign trail intensified on Wednesday as Pérez and challenger Enrique Riquelme staged duelling presentations to socios in the capital, according to Managing Madrid and beIN Sports. Pérez, 79 and backed publicly by Ronaldo Nazário, Santiago Solari and Roberto Carlos, made the Negreira case a central plank of his platform and said the club intends to file documentation with UEFA. Riquelme, the 37-year-old Cox Energy president, faces the first contested Real Madrid election since 2006; voting is on 7 June.
Anthony Gordon was officially unveiled as a Barcelona player on Friday, signing through 2031 in a £69.3m deal inclusive of add-ons. The England forward was a personal request from Hansi Flick after his Champions League performance against Barcelona for Newcastle, with Barça Blaugranes and ESPN reporting the head coach valued Gordon's pressing profile over alternatives such as Marcus Rashford. Gordon spoke Spanish at his presentation and named the Champions League as his immediate ambition.
Transfer and squad notes
Barcelona are preparing a formal offer of around €90m for Atlético Madrid's Julián Álvarez, with the Argentine forward making clear that Camp Nou is his preferred destination over Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, per Goal and ESPN. Sporting director Deco is reported to have met Álvarez's agent for more than four hours; Atlético, who value the player closer to €150m and are reluctant to sell domestically, accused Barça of a "smear campaign" in social posts. Nothing has been agreed.
Real Madrid have publicly closed the door on a Kylian Mbappé sale this summer, with Fabrizio Romano reporting the club's stance after a season without a major trophy and an online petition calling for the Frenchman's exit. The forward, who won his second consecutive Pichichi with 25 goals in 31 games, is expected to lead the line under Mourinho should the new manager be confirmed.
Diego Simeone has confirmed he intends to remain at Atlético Madrid for a 15th season despite Champions League semi-final elimination at the hands of Arsenal and a Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona, telling reporters that the project remains "worth it" for him. Simeone reached 800 matches in charge during the campaign.
LaLiga unveiled its 2025/26 Team of the Season on Friday, with Joan García (Barcelona) collecting the Zamora and Mbappé named Pichichi, per Football España. Barcelona placed four representatives in the XI alongside Real Madrid attackers; Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi and Osasuna's Ante Budimir headlined the mid-table contingent after finishing second and third in the scoring charts.
What it means for the league
The Madrid election has turned into the league's central plot. With Mourinho already contracted in principle, the 7 June vote effectively becomes a referendum on Pérez's response to a trophyless season — and on a managerial choice that bypasses the contested ballot.
Barcelona, by contrast, are operating from a position of clarity. Two-time defending champions with a Pichichi outside their wage bill — for now — they are doubling down with Gordon already in and an Álvarez offer being prepared, even as Atlético dig in.
Atlético themselves face a delicate summer: a settled head coach, a potential cornerstone striker pulled towards a domestic rival, and a third-place finish that will not satisfy ownership. The next fortnight, with election day on 7 June and the transfer window opening on 1 July, will set the shape of LaLiga 2026/27.