Trent Alexander-Arnold is emerging as a surprise candidate to play in the centre of the pitch rather than at right-back as the Portuguese coach searches for answers.
Madrid supporters will have to wait one more week for their LaLiga opener, with the squad still not fully assembled after pre-season delays caused by players returning late from the World Cup.
There is broad agreement over most of Mourinho's preferred starting eleven, with the identity of the right winger still an open question, but the clearest gap remains in central midfield, a position left unresolved after Rodri opted to join Barcelona rather than Real Madrid despite the club's efforts to sign him.
According to Sport, Mourinho is now considering deploying Alexander-Arnold in that deeper midfield role, a position the Englishman occasionally filled under Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool.
The signing of Denzel Dumfries has opened up that possibility, giving Mourinho the option of shifting Alexander-Arnold inside while relying on the Dutchman to cover the right side of defence, and allowing the Englishman to use his passing range and ability to build play from deep in a more advanced role.
The move would represent a significant repositioning for a player signed primarily as a right-back, but one whose technical qualities have long made him a candidate to operate in a deeper playmaking role. Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid from Liverpool in 2025, and his first season in Spain was disrupted by injury problems, with the England international missing 12 matches through thigh issues and making just 21 LaLiga appearances.
Real Madrid's midfield has lacked a natural successor to Toni Kroos since the German's retirement, and with the transfer market unlikely to offer further reinforcements before the season begins,
Mourinho appears increasingly focused on solutions already available within his own squad, which also includes Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham and new signing Bernardo Silva as options through the centre of the pitch.