José Mourinho finds himself facing his biggest dilemma since day one: the search for the creative midfielder he has repeatedly requested but who has yet to arrive, forcing him to find the solution from within the squad.
Rodri was the ideal option and appeared close to the Bernabéu, according to Spanish newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”. Then the Madrid-born player rejected Real Madrid and chose Barcelona, leaving Mourinho without the piece he had craved to build his play.
With the Rodri deal dead, the board told the Portuguese coach that no new signings would arrive without a departure first, insisting the team already boasts enough quality in midfield.
Faced with that reality, Mourinho spent pre-season experimenting with a 4-2-3-1 built around two midfield anchors. One of those slots looks reserved for Tchouaméni or Camavinga, after he tried Valverde as a defensive anchor against Schalke.
The second position sits at the heart of the dilemma. Mourinho wants a player who can build attacks from the back.
Arda Güler got a look, but Bernardo Silva, signed from Manchester City, stands out as the likeliest candidate. He proved in the friendlies he can link defence and attack and pitch in defensively too.
Silva’s role was not limited to the anchor position. He also turned out as a right winger and a playmaker, and that flexibility makes him the closest fit for the job in the league opener against Espanyol, barring a surprise in the final days of the transfer market.
