Mourinho admits Real Madrid made a bid for Rodri but lost him over the player's doubts

Rodri signed with Barcelona on Tuesday, and that same night, amid the earthquake it caused in the transfer market, Jose Mourinho went on television to face the music. He didn't dodge the topic at all: the Portuguese coach admitted that Real Madrid had made "a very good offer" for the Spanish midfielder and still came up empty.

Barcelona's announcement came just hours after Mourinho had been officially presented as Real Madrid's new head coach, in an unusual ceremony closed off to media and fans alike. A curious contrast: while the Whites were wrapping up their welcome for the coach, the best player of the last World Cup was putting on Barcelona's colors.

Mourinho revealed that he spoke with Rodri twice while Madrid explored a possible deal, and that he picked up on something that ended up outweighing any figure in the negotiation: hesitation. He laid it out plainly in an interview with El Chiringuito.

The club reached out to him but he had some doubts. What I think happened is that his doubts gave me doubts too. He's an extraordinary player and he was very correct with us. But I think Real Madrid is of such magnitude that it can't have players who think twice before joining the club.Jose Mourinho

That's the heart of the matter: according to the coach himself, it wasn't about money, it was about conviction. And at Madrid, apparently, that isn't up for negotiation.

"I don't need Rodri"

Far from looking rattled about missing out on one of European soccer's most complete midfielders, Mourinho played down the failed pursuit. He didn't mince words when talking about what he already has in the locker room.

"I don't need Rodri. We have solutions, quality players," he said, adding that he doesn't believe Barcelona gained any edge over Madrid by landing the midfielder. Then he dropped a line that sums up his philosophy pretty well: "Victories are earned on the field, they're earned with titles."

All of this comes after two straight seasons without a major trophy for the Merengues, something that at the Bernabeu is treated almost like an anomaly. To rebuild the squad, the club had already invested in names like Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva and Yan Diomande. A long, varied list that, according to Mourinho, already covers what the team needed.

So when asked whether more reinforcements were coming, his answer was clear, though he left the door slightly ajar: "I'm not saying there won't be more signings, because the market is still open, but if you're asking me directly whether it's closed for Madrid, yes, it's closed," the coach explained.

With the transfer business essentially settled and Rodri's move to the archrival now official, Madrid is turning its attention to the field. The league opener comes Saturday at Espanyol, the first real test of whether the "solutions" Mourinho keeps talking about are enough to chase down what has slipped away the last two seasons.