Real Madrid this summer presented Jose Mourinho with the option of re-signing the club's academy pair Chema Andres and Jacobo Ramon, both of whom are shining away from the Santiago Bernabeu, in order to strengthen the midfield and defensive positions, the two weakest areas in the team, according to the website Defensa Central.
The Portuguese coach and the club agreed to shelve the matter for another year in both cases. Mourinho rates the pair's progress and has agreed to keep a close eye on them throughout the season. Real Madrid's initial plan was to wait until 2027, but the team's frailty in defence and midfield put both players back on the table. The club believes both can play at the Bernabeu. It also believes they need more time. Mourinho agrees, turning down the chance to buy back the academy graduates so he can track their development across the 2026-2027 season.
An early crisis before the start of the Egyptian league
