Pochettino demands three world-class signings from Real Madrid

With Real Madrid staring at a possible switch in managerial personnel, their frontrunner has apparently come up with clear demands ahead of a offer.

Mauricio Pochettino is considered the favourite to take over at Real Madrid as Zinedine Zidane continues to walk a tightrope. The Frenchman faces the sack in the instance that the club is knocked out of the Champions League next week. The likes of Massimiliano Allegri, Raul Gonzalez and Guti have all been considered, but Pochettino seems like the chosen one.

Tottenham Hotspur sacked the Argentinian manager last November and he has been without a job since, despite being strongly linked with Barcelona and Manchester United. He has always admired the Whites and the 13-time European champions have reciprocated that love from the ex-Espanyol head coach.

Pochettino will accept the Real Madrid job without a second thought under most circumstances, but he does have one condition. According to reports, the 48-year-old wants the club to sign three of his preferred targets in the New Year. The January transfer window is not far away now, whereas summer arrivals are on the cards at the Spanish capital too.

Dele Alli and Harry Kane are the two Tottenham players that thrived under Pochettino and he wants both of them to join him at the Santiago Bernabeu. Alli has lost his place in the squad under Jose Mourinho and was linked with a loan move to Madrid and PSG during the summer, while Kane has also been targeted.

Alli and Kane gained prominence under Pochettino and mentioned their gratitude towards him when he was sacked. While the former has been more of an outcast under Mourinho’s era, the latter has managed to play some of his best football under the Portuguese. Nonetheless, Kane has signalled that he could leave the club for silverware, and so too may Alli.

Juventus winger Paulo Dybala is the third player who Pochettino has asked for. La Joya has lost his starring role at the Allianz Stadium since Cristiano Ronaldo arrived and with his contract culminating soon, the player may be on the move. The Argentina international has been linked with Spanish sides before.

Signing Dybala would not be an expensive operation for the Whites because of his contract situation with the Bianconeri. Moreover, the player, having won it all in Italy, could express his desire of tasting a new challenge. Barcelona have also been linked with him in the past but the interest has cooled down of late as a result of their financially downtrodden state.

While Pochettino will certainly come in with an ambitious mindset to Madrid, if at all, it’s unlikely that his demands will be fulfilled. Alli does not seem like a player with enough quality to play for one of the world’s best clubs, whereas it’s fair to say that Dybala has lost his charm in the last few seasons.

Kane will surely be a fantastic recruit but it’s difficult to see him leaving Spurs with Mourinho getting the best out of him. In addition that, it’s tough to see Madrid spending on him when they have younger options like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland already on their radar- with transfers for both mercurial forwards starting to look like just a matter of time.

Do you think Pochettino should be given the players he wants should he be hired?