• Benfica have confirmed that Real Madrid must pay a €15 million release clause to appoint Jose Mourinho
• The Portuguese club revealed that Florentino Perez expressed a “firm intention to recruit” Mourinho
• Mourinho has emerged as Perez's preferred candidate ahead of Real Madrid's presidential election

Portuguese giants Benfica have confirmed that Real Madrid will need to pay a €15 million release clause if they want to bring Jose Mourinho back to the Santiago Bernabeu, as Florentino Perez pushes to secure the veteran coach as the centrepiece of his re-election campaign.

The Lisbon-based club disclosed on Thursday, June 4, that they had been formally contacted regarding Mourinho's availability, revealing that Perez had communicated his “firm intention to recruit” the Portuguese manager should he retain the Real Madrid presidency in elections scheduled for this weekend.

In an official statement submitted to Portugal’s Securities Market Commission (CMVM), Benfica clarified that Mourinho remains under contract at the Estadio da Luz and can only leave if the agreed release clause is activated.

The announcement ends speculation over the cost of securing Mourinho's services after reports suggested that Real Madrid could negotiate a deal for as little as €3 million.

Benfica insist the figure stands at €15 million, an amount that reportedly mirrors the salary Mourinho is entitled to receive during the final year of his contract.

Mourinho, 63, returned to Portuguese football in September 2025 and guided Benfica through an unbeaten domestic league campaign. Despite the remarkable run, Benfica ultimately finished third in the standings, leaving questions over the club's overall progress.

The former Chelsea, Inter Milan and Manchester United manager has one year remaining on his current deal, but his name has quickly emerged as Perez's preferred candidate to replace Arne Slot, who was dismissed after Liverpool's disappointing Premier League title defence.

A return to Madrid would mark Mourinho's second spell with Los Blancos. During his first stint between 2010 and 2013, he won a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup while building one of the club's most competitive teams of the modern era.

Perez reportedly views Mourinho as the ideal figure to restore discipline and authority within a dressing room that has been plagued by reports of division and growing player influence.

However, the prospect of bringing back the famously outspoken coach remains a significant gamble, particularly after Real Madrid ended a second successive season without winning a major trophy.

The Mourinho project has also become a key weapon in Perez's battle for another term as club president. His challenger, Enrique Riquelme, has attempted to win over members with ambitious promises, including potential moves for Manchester City's stars Erling Haaland and Rodri.

The race took another dramatic turn earlier this week when a campaign video circulated on social media appearing to show Mourinho endorsing a return to Real Madrid.

Benfica later revealed that Mourinho informed them the footage had been generated using artificial intelligence and that he had not recorded any such message.

Despite the controversy, Perez's campaign doubled down on its Mourinho-centred vision, releasing further promotional material focused entirely on the prospect of the Portuguese tactician returning to the Bernabeu.

With Sunday's election looming, Benfica's confirmation has transformed speculation into a concrete negotiation framework.

If Perez wins and remains committed to his promise, Real Madrid must decide whether Mourinho's experience and winning pedigree are worth the €15 million price tag required to bring "The Special One" back to Spain.

Ancelotti confident Vinicius will stay at Real Madrid despite blockbuster offer

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the world of football is no stranger to high-stakes transfer sagas, and the speculation surrounding Brazil’s Vinicius Junior had put Real Madrid in the spotlight. 

With a rumored one billion euro offer from Saudi Arabia, the Brazilian forward faced one of the biggest decisions of his career. However, his coach, Carlo Ancelotti, remained confident that the young star will stay committed to his journey at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Vinicius, who is under contract with Real Madrid until 2027, had reportedly drawn renewed interest from the Saudi Pro League.