Jose Mourinho set to sign a two-year contract with Real Madrid, marking the "Special One's" return to La Liga after thirteen years

Jose Mourinho is set to take charge of Real Madrid next season. (Image credits - Flickr.com)

Real Madrid have reached an agreement to appoint the “Special One", Jose Mourinho, as the club's next manager, replacing Alvaro Arbeloa. Mourinho has become the club's fourth managerial appointment in a calendar year. 

Reports had surfaced a long time ago about the club's interest in bringing back the Portuguese head coach, and he himself wanted this comeback in his career. The 63-year-old is set to return to the Spanish capital after thirteen years.

Mourinho was in charge of Portuguese giants Benfica last season, who finished third in the league but ended the season as invincibles. As per the reports, Mourinho has been offered a two-year deal by Real Madrid which he will readily accept. Florentino Perez and co. decided to bring the Portuguese back to the club to address the growing turmoil inside the dressing room and instil the club's elite mentality in the team. 

Recent controversies within the dressing room have affected the team's on-field performance, which prompted the club to take this decision.

An official announcement will be made by the club after their final game of the season against Athletic Club Bilbao on Sunday. Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has given his “Here We Go” for this deal, and it's almost done now with the final paperwork left. 

Xabi Alonso was replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa, but under him matters went from bad to worse inside the dressing room. The fans hope that Jose Mourinho, who has a lot of experience in managing big players with big egos, will do a better job than Alonso and Arbeloa.

Mourinho will break his two-year contract with Benfica, which he signed just eight months back, and there's a clause in his contract which will let him leave for £2.6m. He is set to take four coaches as his staff from Portugal to Spain.

What can we expect from Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid next season?

Jose Mourinho's appointment at Real Madrid in the current scenario makes perfect sense. He understands and knows how to handle the pressure of managing Real Madrid and its “Galacticos” players. He brings an elite mentality inside the dressing room, and very few managers command their players the way the “Special One” does. 

Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho were a thrill to watch, too quick in transitions and possibly one of the best Real Madrid sides to have won La Liga by reaching 100 points and a goal difference above 80. He fielded the only side which went head to head against Pep Guardiola's FC Barcelona, which is often considered the greatest ever Real Madrid side.

However, the biggest issue now will be because of his style of football. Football has evolved a lot since he last managed Real Madrid, especially after the growing emphasis on more attacking football while applying more pressure without the ball. 

José Mourinho's immediate task would be to resolve the dressing room chaos and forge a bond between the players. (Image credits – Heute; licence details)

Mourinho's football in recent years has leant heavily towards a pragmatic approach with low block setups and prioritising keeping the defensive shape intact instead of pressing and winning the ball back. These tactics fit brilliantly in the Champions League, especially in the knockout stages, but over a full season in La Liga, results can quickly turn negative if the performances are too defensive.

Mourinho has not been able to adapt tactically to modern football like Pep Guardiola, and he emphasiseshis players showing a fearless mentality on the pitch to grind out results. However, it only works short-term and can get physically demanding. 

During his time at Chelsea, Manchester United, AS Roma and even Fenerbahçe, his team started well, but later friction started to appear inside the dressing room, due to which performances started to become poor. At a big club like Real Madrid which is going through a turmoil period right now, this cycle could repeat here as well very quickly.

Yes, Jose Mourinho can definitely make Real Madrid compete for all the trophies, especially the knockout ones in which he specialises. In the Champions League, Los Blancos will definitely be a team to face now, but in the league and even in some big games, his brand of football can get a bit boring and clash with fans at the club who seek a modern attacking brand of football. Therefore, it's important that he deliver some positive results the next season and maintain consistency, something he has failed to do in his recent jobs.