Rodri's failed move to the Bernabéu has not shifted Mourinho's plans for the season, according to reports out of Spain, with the Portuguese coach said to have made clear from the first day of pre-season that he is satisfied with the squad already at his disposal.
While a player of Rodri's calibre would undoubtedly have raised the squad's ceiling further, sources close to the club insist his absence does not change the broader plan for the campaign, with Mourinho reportedly confident he has enough resources to build a dominant, competitive midfield without the World Cup winner.
Bernardo Silva's role takes on added significance in that context. Rather than arriving purely to operate out wide, the Portuguese international is expected to be repurposed into a deeper midfield role, effectively taking on some of the responsibilities Rodri would have carried had the move gone through.
Mourinho reportedly sees Silva operating centrally, involved in build-up play and combining with Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouaméni, bringing the composure on the ball the coach values highly. Within the club, Silva's signing was always understood to double as midfield reinforcement, regardless of whether another arrival followed.
Sources close to the club describe the operation to sign Rodri as one driven by the sporting department with the coach's full backing throughout, insisting there was no internal disagreement over the merits of pursuing the Spain captain, given the scale of the opportunity.
Real Madrid explored every avenue open to them, but once the player opted for a different destination, the club is said to have moved on without lingering frustration. It is worth noting that this calm framing sits at odds with other reports in the Spanish press describing Mourinho as considerably more frustrated by the outcome.
Inside Valdebebas, however, sources maintain the squad has not been weakened, pointing to the imminent arrival of Yan Diomandé as further reinforcement for the attack, with Mourinho said to remain convinced his group has the talent, experience and hunger to compete for every trophy again this season.