Real Madrid news: Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe not 'incompatible'

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho says it will be hard to find the "perfect set-up" to fit Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham into the same team, but insists the trio are not "incompatible".

After last season was overshadowed by chaos, amid fan unrest and allegations of players fighting at the Bernabeu, Mourinho will need all three of his stars if Los Blancos want to reclaim the Spanish title from a Barcelona team who have won the past two.

However, the 63‑year‑old, whose return to Real for a second stint in charge was confirmed in June, admitted he faces a "difficult" task in fitting all three players into the same starting eleven.

Speaking to the media before Real's La Liga opener against Espanyol on Saturday, Mourinho said: "They are incredible players and incredible players want to play with incredible players. Top players have frustration when they play with teammates who are not top.

"The best want to play with the best. After the tactical adjustments, it might be a little bit more difficult," he added.

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Before facing Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final last season, Jude Bellingham said "it can be difficult" to be at his individual best when he, Mbappe and Vinicius are all on the pitch together.

"It's difficult, because I still feel like there have been many games where we've mixed really well," Bellingham said when asked about combining with his star team-mates.

"It can be difficult when we're all on the same side. We're fluid, we have freedom to move around, at times that can disorganise a bit, but with both of them, you have to trust in their ability."

Mourinho said England's Bellingham, France's Mbappe and Brazil's Vinicius all played in "perfect" roles for their countries during the World Cup, but admitted replicating that in Madrid this season will be a tougher task.

"It's harder for Mourinho to find the perfect set-up for all three. I want all three of them to feel comfortable on the field together," he said.

"I'm very confident that you'll say it's great when the three play together because they're high-quality players, and I don't think their positions are incompatible either.

"I'm very confident that we're going to have a great season with them."

With a frontline consisting of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, goals should not be difficult to find.

And individually, they were not last season. Mbappe scored 42 times in all competitions, while Vinicius contributed 22.

The bigger issue has been how the pieces fit together.

In 2024-25, Mbappe led the line with Vinicius operating from the left, but both frequently drifted towards the same areas. Last season, the attack became even more fluid, with Jude Bellingham dropping deeper to help balance the side, but that reduced his influence closer to goal and did not fully solve the spacing problems ahead of him.

That presents Jose Mourinho with one of his biggest tactical puzzles.

Mbappe, who arrives back from the World Cup having scored 10 goals for France, is at his most dangerous attacking the space behind a defensive line.

Vinicius, meanwhile, remains most effective starting from the left, where he can isolate defenders and attack one against one.

Creating clearer separation between the pair could also allow Bellingham to move closer to goal again.

The England midfielder scored eight goals and supplied five assists in 40 appearances for Madrid last season, a considerable drop from the 23 goals and 13 assists he produced during his first campaign at the Bernabeu.

At the World Cup, England head coach Thomas Tuchel used Bellingham predominantly as a number 10 behind Harry Kane. He responded with seven goals in eight appearances, having operated in an advanced role for 71% of his minutes, compared with only 28% in La Liga last season.

Mourinho has previously shown he can accommodate several elite attackers. His 2011-12 Madrid side, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain, scored a La Liga record 121 goals in 38 matches.

And this time, there is another option.

Madrid have made 19-year-old Yan Diomande a statement signing after his breakthrough at RB Leipzig. Only Lamine Yamal completed more dribbles across Europe's top five leagues last season than the Ivory Coast winger's 118.

He also offers something without the ball. Diomande won possession in the opposition final third 27 times, a total bettered by only nine players across those leagues.

The challenge for Mourinho is therefore unlikely to be finding enough attacking quality. It will be giving that quality enough structure to flourish.

Whatever solution Mourinho finds to fit all three into his team, he knows he has to deliver success after two turbulent seasons, three failed managers and no trophies.

In his previous spell in charge of Real between 2010 and 2013, Mourinho won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.

"We need to be a team, work well, and not try to negotiate things that are non-negotiable. Commitment has to be present every minute of every match," said Mourinho.

"We have to overcome moments of frustration that will come from a negative result or personal frustration."

Those comments come after Mourinho arrived at the club with a number of issues to address, including the relationship between midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, who clashed last season in a dressing-room row which ended with the Uruguay midfielder being taken to hospital with a head injury.

Real said the pair had "apologised to each other, the club and their team-mates" and been fined 500,000 euros (£432,037.50) each.

"I arrived with a lot of information. I've been here for three years and have my base contacts," said Mourinho.

"I've come to know many things, not just the situation that occurred between Tchouameni and Federico [Valverde]. But I decided to start from scratch.

"What I've seen isn't about peace - it's about normality, friendship, and cooperation. It's as if nothing ever happened."