Jose Mourinho is in final negotiations to become Real Madrid's next head coach, 13 years after his first spell at the Bernabeu. The 63-year-old is the clear favourite - and currently the only candidate Real are in talks with over the role. He would replace current head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who only took charge in January following Xabi Alonso's departure. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez first considered the possibility of Mourinho's return two days after Xabi Alonso left the club, during initial conversations with the Portuguese coach's representatives. Mourinho has been manager of Benfica, in his native Portugal, since joining on a two-year contract last September, and only yesterday told media he did not want to talk about his future just yet. There's a match against Estoril, and from Monday onwards I'll be able to answer questions about my future as a coach and Benfica's future, he said. Saturday's game against Estoril Praia is Benfica's last of the season. From Sunday, Real Madrid will have a window to complete a deal for Mourinho at a relatively low cost. A clause in his contract allows him to leave for 3m euros (£2.6m) up to 10 days after Benfica play their final match of the season. He was in charge at Real between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. After leaving the club he returned to England for a second stint at Chelsea, winning the third of his three Premier League titles, plus the EFL Cup, in the 2014-15 season. Following his departure from the Blues by mutual consent in 2015, Mourinho then joined Manchester United on a three-year deal in 2016. He won the Europa League, EFL Cup and Community Shield during his first season at Old Trafford but was sacked in December 2018 after a poor run of results. Mourinho also had spells at Tottenham, Serie A side Roma, where he won the Europa Conference League in 2022, and Turkish club Fenerbahce, before taking over at Benfica last year. Meanwhile, Real have ended their 2025-26 campaign trophyless, with rivals Barcelona sealing the La Liga title with a 2-0 El Clasico victory and by a 14-point margin. Los Blancos' Champions League run ended with a 6-4 aggregate defeat by German champions Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. Off the pitch, the club fined midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde a combined 1m euros this month following a dressing room row. Valverde, 27, went to hospital with a head injury after the spat with 26-year-old France international Tchouameni but denied the pair came to blows. Perez called a news conference on Tuesday, fuelling speculation he could be set to announce Mourinho - but he refused to answer questions on the matter as he launched into an attack on his critics and called a new presidential election.
