Carvalho leaves Chelsea for Madrid and Mourinho
Ricardo Carvalho is ready to play under Jose Mourinho for a third time in his career. The Portuguese defender is set to join Real Madrid after Chelsea agreed to a deal that will see the player link up with the Spanish heavyweights. The deal is believed to be in the region of £6.5m and will be Madrid’s fifth signing of the summer.
The 32-year-old, who has spent the last six years playing for the London side, will be reunited with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who earlier this summer was appointed Real Madrid Coach following his exit from European Champions Inter. This will be the second time Mourinho has signed Carvalho. After winning the Champions League with Porto in 2004, a side which featured Carvalho as the defensive anchor, Mourinho took the central defender with him to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £20 million. During his six-year spell with the Blues, Carvalho made 210 appearances and found the net 11 times. He will mostly be remembered for the outstanding partnership he formed with England international John Terry in his debut season as Chelsea claimed their first domestic title in more than 50 years.
For Carvalho, it is a move that he has been seeking for some time. Ever since Mourinho parted company with Chelsea in 2007, the Portuguese defender has been looking for an escape from Stamford Bridge. During pre-season last year he said he wanted to quit the club to join Inter following reports that Mourinho had been interested in signing him. However, he decided to stick with the Blues for another season even if it was only as a squad player. The defender made 29 appearances last-term but struggled to hold down a regular place due to injuries and Carlo Ancelotti favouring Brazilian defender Alex. With the new season just around the corner, this move has come at the best possible time for Carvalho as he will start a new chapter in his career playing under a coach that has guided him to his greatest successes.
One thing that Carvalho will bring to Madrid’s defence is big-game experience. Over the last eight years he has been involved in some of the biggest games in European football, which includes two Champions League finals and a UEFA Cup final. Mourinho will undoubtedly change the way Real Madrid play as he is a fan of a more defensive, physical game as opposed to the all-out attacking nature that is associated with the nine-time European Champions. Carvalho’s arrival is the first sign that Mourinho will be adopting his favoured style of play. His strength and aggression is something that they Spanish side has lacked in defence over the last few seasons.
It is very likely that we will see him join forces with fellow countryman Pepe at the heart of the defence as Real Madrid attempt to reclaim dominance in La Liga. At 32, this will be most likely be the last major move of Carvalho’s career, but with it being under the wing of Mourinho, it may be his most significant.
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