While the club continues its sporting planning and squad construction, the Portuguese head coach is playing an active role in the design of the project, with reports in Spain suggesting little moves forward without his input.
Beyond the specific positional needs identified across the squad, Mourinho believes one of the areas requiring the most attention is the team's overall competitive profile.
The signings made so far, and those still being negotiated, are understood to reflect a shared idea: bringing in players accustomed to competing for titles and operating under consistently high demands.
The intention goes beyond simply raising the technical quality of the squad. Mourinho wants to lift the group's internal competitive standard and build an environment where high expectations are part of daily life rather than something reserved for matchdays.
That winning mentality is central to what Mourinho wants to establish in his second spell at the club — in particular, the search for leaders capable of connecting the dressing room. It is an approach designed to avoid repeats of incidents like the one between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, a situation Mourinho is understood to believe he can manage without difficulty.
From his own experience, Mourinho believes the most consistent teams maintain high standards regardless of opponent or competition. It is an idea he is reportedly pushing hard to embed into the club's daily routine, from training sessions through to official matches, and it also explains the search for players with experience of high-pressure environments — profiles Mourinho believes can accelerate the squad's adaptation to the competitive levels he wants to establish from the very start of the season.
The pursuit of experienced, battle-tested players does not represent a shift away from developing the squad's younger talents. Their progress remains an important part of the planning for the new project. The difference, in Mourinho's view, is that their development is more effective within a settled, competitive structure, surrounded by players used to carrying responsibility.
With less than a month remaining before the new season begins, planning work continues at pace. Pre-season preparation, the definition of roles within the squad and the transfer business still to be completed all form part of the same overall strategy.
The aim is to arrive at the start of the campaign with a team ready to compete from day one. Mourinho considers this period — the weeks before a ball is kicked in earnest — to be precisely when the foundations are laid for projects that go on to challenge for major domestic and international honours.