Following the sacking of Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid appointed Alvaro Arbeloa as interim manager and signs point to Arbeloa not keeping that job full-time when the summer rolls around. As a result the club has been drawing up a list of their dream managers to take the reigns full-time, and they have added a new name to the list, one that is familiar to everyone.
As reported by Rodra of ESPN, Real Madrid have added former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino to their list of potential managers, with Florentino Perez a huge admirer of the Argentine manager.
Real Madrid add ex-Tottenham manager to shortlist
Pochettino is the latest to join the list of potential managers, joining the likes of Jurgen Klopp, Massimiliano Allegri, and Luis Enrique among others as Real Madrid hunt for their perfect manager to lead Los Blancos into the new generation. The former Spurs boss has been linked with Real Madrid before, being one of the names mentioned before Real ultimately decided to bring back Carlo Ancelotti in 2021.
Pochettino recently spoke about the interest from Los Blancos to El Chiringuito saying:
"Excited by Real Madrid’s interest? Everything in it’s own time.Mauricio Pochettino
Football will take you where it wants to take you."
The 54-year-old knows La Liga well both from his time as a player and a manager, he spent a majority of his playing career at Espanyol before then going on to manage them from 2009-2012. He then went on to manage a number of high profile clubs and players across his time at Tottenham, PSG, and Chelsea, with the most high profile being none other than Kylian Mbappe.
The Argentine won three titles in two years in charge at the French club, with Mbappe bagging 67 goals and 34 assists in 75 games under the manager, only putting up better numbers during his time under Thomas Tuchel.
Pochettino is currently the manager of the United States national team and is fully focused on the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US. His contract runs until after the tournament, so Real will have to wait if they wish to appoint the manager.
But by the time the tournament is over who knows what other managers will be available that Real Madrid could appoint. Picking the right manager is the most crucial move the club will make this summer, more important than any transfer they're planning. The club needs to do all the due diligence to ensure they don't make the wrong call and derail the club's future for years to come.