Brahim is winning Mourinho over — and Real have a good problem

Brahim Díaz has returned from the World Cup in excellent shape and clearly has no intention of quietly waiting for minutes. According to AS, the Morocco international has quickly impressed José Mourinho, starting two consecutive pre-season matches and scoring the decisive goal against Deportivo to win the Teresa Herrera trophy.

The competition around him is brutal. Diomande, Bernardo Silva, Arda Güler and Endrick are all capable of occupying similar areas, yet Mourinho reportedly sees Brahim as a highly valuable option because of his versatility, work rate and ability to play on either wing or through the middle.

That fits perfectly with what Mourinho has been demanding from the squad. Brahim recently explained to Real Madrid TV that the coach is placing heavy emphasis on intensity, sacrifice and collective work. Those are exactly the qualities that can buy you minutes under Mourinho without needing to be the biggest name in the dressing room.

Real Madrid therefore have another problem — just not the kind anyone complains about. Brahim is not asking for a place because of his reputation. Right now, he is making Mourinho find reasons to leave him out.