Real Madrid to pay club-record fee to Benfica as Jose Mourinho agreement made public

Real Madrid will pay a club-record fee to Benfica to appoint Jose Mourinho as manager, it has been announced.

Los Blancos announced on Tuesday that head coach Alvaro Arbeloa had left the club after only five months in charge.

There have reports of several falling-outs with key players, while Real failed to win a trophy of any kind last season.

Mourinho is set to take on a more authoritative role at Real compared to Arbeloa, which will give him a key say in transfer dealings among other key areas.

According to reports, he presented a list of 10 demands to club president Florentino Perez during initial talks between the pair.

Perez promised as part of his presidential election campaign that he would appoint Mourinho as the club's new manager, with a contract agreed.

Once the 79-year-old won the election on Sunday, receiving 65 per cent of the vote against Enrique Riquelme, Real can now proceed with the finer details behind Mourinho's return to the Bernabeu for a second stint in charge.

Florentino Perez and Jose Mourinho pictured (Image: Getty)

Speaking after his re-election was made official, Perez stated: "We will continue to take pride in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the best stadium in the world.

"Proud to have the best players in the world, proud to welcome back one of the best coaches in the world, a madridista like Jose Mourinho.

"We will continue working so that Real Madrid keeps winning titles, and we will fight until the end to achieve the sixteenth European Cup.

"We must stay united, driven by our passion for Real Madrid. To those who did not vote for me, I will do everything possible to address your concerns."

Benfica confirm Mourinho appointment

Mourinho is expected to be unveiled by Real later this week, but Benfica have taken the step of confirming that the Spanish giants have contacted them to confirm they will be paying his release clause.

Real will splash out €15 million in compensation to appoint Mourinho, a club-record fee and a sum only bettered by two different clubs in football history.

Julian Nagelsmann's appointment to Bayern holds the world record for a compensation fee, while Chelsea splashed out significant sums to appoint Graham Potter and Andre Villas-Boas across two different ownerships.

A statement from Benfica reads: "Benfica SAD has informed the CMVM [Portugal Securities Market Commission] that Real Madrid CF has formally expressed its intention to hire Jose Mourinho for the amount of 15 million euros, with the coach having given his agreement."