Jose Mourinho personally blocked academy star’s departure in the summer

Jose Mourinho’s selections so far do not suggest that the manager counts on academy talents, and his ideology is understandable given the transfer domination and freedom Real Madrid possess.

His stance, however, is the polar opposite of last season’s coaches Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, both of whom did count on academy names in some capacity.

Of the various players handed a chance last season, Thiago Pitarch stood out as one of the creme-de-la-creme as he even established himself as a starter at one point and brought to the table what the team lacked in midfield – control and creativity.

So far this season, Jose Mourinho has handed the young midfielder no minutes and there has been no sign to suggest that he counts on the player.

As reported by Diario AS in a recent update, however, it was reportedly Mourinho who personally blocked the youngster’s departure in the summer.

Expecting a drought for minutes this season, Pitarch was in talks with Fulham over a move in the summer. In fact, the deal was even in the final stages and quite advanced.

At that point, however, Mourinho entered the scene and blocked Pitarch’s exit, a surprising development. After all, he has barely turned to the youngster so far this campaign.

Real Madrid’s midfield woes this season are well-documented. In just the opening phase of the campaign, the team’s inability to control games and keep possession has been a stark finding, and Mourinho and Co. are working hard to find a solution.

The combination of Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde was the manager’s preferred double pivot for big games, but they have failed to bring the required technical quality on the ball when fielded together in recent games.

There is, thus, talk of a possible change in midfield dynamics. Bernardo Silva is the likely candidate to see more minutes, but Pitarch could make a case for himself too.

After a minute-starved start to the season, the youngster has restarted playing regularly with the Castilla side and has again earned the spotlight. Needless to say, Mourinho did not block his departure for no reason and may well turn to him in the coming months.