Real Madrid transfer news: Jose Mourinho 'urging' Los Blancos chiefs to sign Portugal international

Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho is reportedly keen to bring Benfica centre-back Tomas Araujo to Bernabeu this summer.

It has already been a busy transfer window for Los Blancos, with Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva joining the club.

Antonio Rudiger has also renewed his contract, but David Alaba has departed on a free transfer, while there are suggestions that Raul Asencio could also be moved on.

As it stands, Real Madrid's centre-back options are Konate, Rudiger, Asencio, Dean Huijsen and Eder Militao, but the latter will not be back any time soon due to a serious hamstring injury which forced him to miss the 2026 World Cup.

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Real Madrid 'eyeing' summer move for Araujo

Mourinho is therefore said to be determined to sign another centre-back this summer, and according to Defensa Central, Araujo features high on the Portuguese's wishlist.

The 24-year-old was a part of the Portugal squad that reached the last-16 stage of the 2026 World Cup, although he only made one appearance at the competition.

Araujo came through the youth system at Benfica and has represented the Portuguese outfit on 106 occasions in all competitions, scoring three times and registering five assists.

Last season, the Portuguese made 39 appearances for Benfica, scoring once and registering two assists, including nine appearances in the Champions League.

Mourinho is said to be a huge fan of his fellow countryman and is pushing for Real Madrid to secure his signature before the end of the summer market.

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Would Araujo be a good signing for Real Madrid?

Real Madrid would not have to break the bank to sign Araujo this summer, although Benfica do have the centre-back on a contract until June 2029.

Transfermarkt value Araujo at £26m - it is incredibly unlikely that a deal would go through for that amount, but it would not be a major transfer in terms of the fee involved.

Araujo did not have much of a chance to showcase his quality at the 2026 World Cup, but he is expected to be an important player for Portugal in the future, and Mourinho clearly feels that the Benfica star is capable of becoming a top-class defender in the coming years.