Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

This summer, the first earthquake of European football rumbled through Madrid.

And what fans didn’t expect was that the first blockbuster transfer saga of the summer would also ignite in Madrid.

At the center of it all?

José Mourinho.

The most frustrated manager in the sport.

His captain and vice-captain were revolting. The club president was trying to keep things quiet behind closed doors. And now, his most loyal disciple?

Being poached by the biggest clubs in Europe.

In the span of just a few days, Mourinho’s temples had turned visibly whiter.

And once the transfer rumors linking Leon to top European powerhouses hit the headlines, Mourinho had no time to deal with Casillas leaking from the locker room.

Instead, he jumped into his car and drove straight to Leon’s private villa.

The knock at the door startled both Leon and Mendes, who were in the middle of crisis management.

”You two, tell me everything, right now. No cover-ups. No games. If I don’t get the full story, I swear I’ll call my wife and tell her I’m not coming home—no one’s leaving this room until I get answers!”

Mourinho wasn’t messing around.

He plopped onto the sofa like he’d planned to spend the night there.

Leon and Mendes exchanged glances.

Then, without protest, they sat down across from him and laid everything on the table—exactly how it unfolded.

When Mourinho learned that neither Leon nor Mendes had released the transfer rumors themselves, he finally exhaled.

Transfer gossip was normal. Every summer and winter window brought it.

The issue was whether it came from within the club. If a player’s camp leaked their desire to leave? That was a real problem.

Now that Mourinho understood Leon’s desire to become the core of a team, and the ambition behind his recent moves, he didn’t know whether to praise him or warn him.

He had rehearsed a dozen arguments in his head, but staring into Leon’s clear, determined gaze, all he could do was sigh.

”You brat… You stubborn little brat…”

Mourinho’s initial reaction wasn’t all that different from Florentino’s.

They both felt Leon was being a little too eager, a bit too ambitious.

But unlike Florentino, Mourinho wasn’t a businessman.

He was a manager.

He judged players differently.

And to Mourinho, Leon’s growth curve was his greatest asset.

Two or three seasons from now, Leon’s impact on a team could very well surpass Cristiano Ronaldo’s.

If Mourinho had the final say, he’d back Leon as the team’s undisputed centerpiece—even if it broke his heart.

Of course, if Mourinho really had that kind of power, he’d also ask Leon to be patient.

Just give it one more year.

If Leon could develop his finishing further, then Mourinho would have all the ammunition he needed to back Leon as the face of Real Madrid.

But this wasn’t his decision.

And now, with Leon’s name swirling in the headlines, the situation was spiraling.

Mendes’s team wouldn’t leak.

Leon hadn’t spoken to anyone.

So where did the rumors come from?

The only remaining possibility was inside the club.

It probably wasn’t from Florentino. And it may not have been the intention of most of the board. But it happened.

And knowing Leon, Mourinho knew—he wouldn’t back down.

Other Castilla graduates might’ve kept their heads down.

But Leon?

He was the same kid who once refused to stay in first-team training and demanded a loan for minutes.

The same one who didn’t care about ”tradition” when it came to chasing opportunities.

And now, Mourinho felt the tension again.

”Boss, let’s not talk about me for now,” Leon finally said. ”What about you? Has the president contacted you about the Casillas mess?”

Mourinho’s face darkened instantly. Mendes, sensing trouble, got up and went to the kitchen.

Leon didn’t stop. He pushed forward.

”I assume the president has tried. He always prefers to resolve things quietly.

But this time… this isn’t just a locker-room squabble. The captain’s girlfriend is leaking club secrets to the media.

From the club’s perspective, patching things up between you and Iker would look good on the surface.

But… are you really going to let this go, boss?”

Mourinho let out a cold laugh.

He looked straight into Leon’s eyes and said nothing. But those eyes… they said everything.

”Tomorrow, I’m meeting with the president again,” Mourinho finally growled.

”And I’m going to lay it all out.

Either I stay and those two leave.

Or they stay… and I walk.”

Leon froze.

He remembered the version of history he’d read before—Mourinho clashing with Casillas and Ramos, benching both.

Even back then, without trophies, under immense pressure, he stood his ground.

So now?

With six trophies and two Champions League titles in his pocket?

Why would Mourinho back down?

There was nothing left to say.

Mourinho, now calmer, finished his coffee, gestured for Leon to stay in touch, and left.

Over the next two days, Leon said nothing publicly.

He ignored the mounting transfer rumors.

He responded to messages from teammates—including Ronaldo—but offered no clarity.

He stayed calm.

Deep down, Leon understood the leak came from Madrid’s own walls.

And that clarity gave him peace.

As for Ronaldo?

Whether he knew about Leon’s ambition or not, Leon didn’t think their friendship would be affected.

As for the transfer rumors?

Leon believed maybe half of them.

The numbers being tossed around were ridiculous.

He had serious doubts about the accuracy of Spanish media.

But he had severely underestimated just how attractive he had become to Europe’s elite.

Barcelona didn’t just test the waters—they went all-in.

Despite public ridicule, despite pressure from within the squad, they submitted a €60 million bid.

They were serious.

No one bids that kind of money just to mess with Madrid.

If Real said yes and Barça pulled out, they’d be a laughingstock.

And then the truly surreal moment came:

Messi called him.

At first, Leon thought it was a joke.

But Messi was serious.

He wanted to play alongside Leon.

Leon couldn’t help but laugh.

A true-born Castilla player transferring to Barcelona?

Never.

He politely declined.

”I appreciate it, Leo,” Leon said. ”But if I ever do leave Madrid… I’ll suggest my new boss bid for you instead.

I’ll be the boss. I’ll protect you. You go break ankles, and I’ll pass you the ball. You take one Ballon d’Or, Cris takes one, I take one…”

Messi hung up before he finished.

Leon smiled to himself.

And at last, he accepted the truth.

”I guess I really am… pretty popular these days.”

The first bombshell of the summer in European football detonated in Madrid.

And what fans didn’t expect was that the first massive transfer saga of the window would also break in Madrid.

José Mourinho had suddenly become the most stressed coach in the sport.

His captain and vice-captain were revolting, the club president refused to take a hard stance, choosing instead to smooth things over behind closed doors — and now, his most trusted player was being actively poached.

In just three to five days, Mourinho’s hair looked noticeably grayer.

Once Leon’s name began surfacing in connection with the world’s biggest clubs, Mourinho had no time to deal with the Casillas locker-room leak anymore.

He jumped in his car, drove straight to Leon’s private villa, and scared both Leon and Mendes — who were trying to handle the chaos — half to death.

”You two, tell me everything. No secrets, no lies. If you don’t spill, I’m calling my wife and telling her I’m not coming home tonight — and you’re not leaving this room until I get answers!”

Mourinho stormed in, refusing to give Leon and Mendes any time to coordinate stories.

He planted himself on the couch, fully prepared to stay there until the situation was resolved.

Leon and Mendes looked at each other.

In the end, they told the truth — laid out the entire timeline, nothing left out.

Mourinho had prepared for the worst. But when he learned that neither Leon nor Mendes had leaked anything, he finally relaxed.

Transfer rumors? Those happened every window. Common enough.

What mattered was where they came from. If the club didn’t know and the player was making moves — that was a disaster.

Once Mourinho understood what Leon truly wanted — to be the centerpiece of a team — he didn’t know whether to praise his ambition or talk him down.

He had so many speeches prepared, but when he looked into Leon’s calm and clear eyes, all he could do was sigh.

”You stubborn little punk…”

Mourinho’s reaction wasn’t unlike Florentino’s — both men thought Leon was being too impatient.

But unlike the club president, Mourinho saw things from a coach’s perspective.

Leon’s growth curve was his greatest asset.

In two to three seasons, his influence on a team might not just equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s — it might surpass it.

If Mourinho were in charge of the final call, he’d suffer to make the decision — but he’d still choose to build around Leon.

Of course, if it were up to him, he’d advise Leon to wait one more year.

If Leon could improve his finishing, Mourinho would have everything he needed to position him as Real Madrid’s new franchise player.

But he wasn’t the one holding the cards.

And now, Leon had been pushed by a tidal wave of transfer rumors into a crossroads of epic scale.

Mendes’s people wouldn’t leak. Leon hadn’t spoken to anyone. So the only possibility was that it came from inside the club.

Maybe not Florentino. Maybe not even most of the board.

But it happened.

And Mourinho knew — Leon wasn’t the type to back down.

Other Castilla kids might swallow the insult and stay quiet.

But Leon? He was the same guy who once refused to sit in on first-team training, demanding to be loaned out for minutes.

Mourinho felt his chest tighten all over again.

”What about you, boss?” Leon asked after laying it all out. ”What’s your plan for dealing with Casillas crossing the line?”

Mourinho’s face darkened.

Mendes quickly stood up and made an excuse to head to the kitchen for coffee.

Leon, unfazed, kept going.

”I’m guessing the president already contacted you. He prefers quiet, behind-the-scenes solutions.

But this time, Iker’s girlfriend crossed a line that hurts the club’s core.

If he can fix things between you and Iker, that’s a win-win for him. He gets unity and face-saving. But are you really going to let this go, boss?”

Mourinho let out a short, cold laugh.

He turned to Leon, eyes sharp with fire.

”Tomorrow the president wants another meeting. And I’m going to lay it all out.

Either I stay, and they leave.

Or they stay… and I walk.”

Leon was stunned.

He remembered from the ”original timeline” how Mourinho once benched Casillas and Ramos after internal leaks.

Back then, under enormous pressure and lacking trophies, Mourinho still dared to fight back.

Now?

Six trophies. Two Champions League titles.

There was no reason to back down.

Neither spoke for a long moment.

Mourinho eventually relaxed, downed the last of his coffee, and made a casual hand gesture to Leon: stay in touch.

And just like that, he left — firm, decisive, unwavering.

Over the next two days, Leon ignored the swirling rumors.

He answered concerned messages from teammates — even Cristiano.

Internally, Leon had made peace.

He knew where the leak came from.

He accepted that.

And it didn’t change his friendships.

As for the rumors of massive bids?

He didn’t fully believe them.

The reported prices were enormous.

He doubted their accuracy.

But Leon still underestimated how badly Europe’s elite wanted him.

Barcelona, under immense pressure and fan scrutiny, offered €65 million.

That wasn’t just a PR move — they were serious.

No one offers €65 million unless they mean business. If Madrid accepted and Barça pulled out, they’d be a global joke.

And then something even more surreal happened:

Messi called.

Leon thought it was a prank.

But Messi was sincere.

He wanted to play with Leon.

Leon laughed.

”I’m a Castilla product,” he said. ”I can’t betray Madrid like that.”

Then he joked, ”If I leave, I’ll ask my new team to buy you instead. I’ll run the team. You score. No one will dare foul you. You get a Ballon d’Or, Cristiano gets one, I get one…”

Messi hung up.

Leon grinned.

And at last, he admitted the truth:

”I guess I really am the hottest name in football right now.”

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