No pressure to find new Real faces, says Mourinho

12 May 2012 18:17

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho insisted Saturday that his league champions would not rush into any summer signing sprees as he looks to fine tune rather than carry out major surgery on his squad.

"We neither need nor want a totally new squad. What is normal is to buy a few players who will raise the level still higher. We shall recruit without pressure," said the Portuguese coach.

After beating Barcelona to the title Mourinho said he believed that totting up 97 points with one game remaining meant he felt that "the figures we have reached are impossible to beat".

He added: "The goal for next season will be to win the league again while being conscious that these numbers will be difficult to surpass."

Amid rumours that Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuain, Brazilian veteran Kaka or Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho may leave, Mourinho insisted that he certainly wanted Higuain, fourth top scorer in La Liga behind Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Atletico Madrid's Falcao, to stay.

Real have set his release clause at 150 million euros and Mourinho told reporters: "I want him to stay and so do the club and the supporters. But if a club is ready to meet the clause, Gonzalo could leave. Otherwise I shan't let him go as he is one of the best centre forwards in the world."

Regarding Kaka, Mourinho noted: "He was very good in certain matches and then, in others, neither he nor I were satisfied. But he has always stepped up and not been injured, which is very important for him."

Mourinho, meanwhile, denied he was seeking to force out former star Zinedine Zidane as sporting director.

"Regarding Zizou, I can tell you that if there is any change in his remit it will be for him to take on better (more important) functions."

Source: AFP