Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino are contenders to become Real Madrid’s next boss should the Spanish giants dismiss Alvaro Arbeloa.
Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich on Wednesday and are nine points adrift of Barcelona in La Liga. One major trophy is off the cards and the odds are against them lifting the other.
Daily Mail Sport understands Madrid chief Florentino Perez admires both Klopp and Pochettino. Former Liverpool boss Klopp is currently in a senior role with the Red Bull group while Pochettino, who has coached Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, will lead the USA at the World Cup this summer.
Klopp’s track record and charisma make him an ideal candidate for Madrid but there are doubts whether the German wants to return to the dug-out yet.
He left Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season and has shown little desire to embrace that high-pressure lifestyle again. The chance to coach one of the world’s most prestigious clubs may prove difficult to reject, however.
Pochettino, meanwhile, is likely to be on several lists if he leaves the USA post. Perez twice showed interest in Pochettino before, once when he was at Tottenham and once when he was at PSG.
The Argentine also had a very good relationship with Kylian Mbappe at PSG and the France star, now in his second season at Madrid, would likely welcome the chance to work with him again.
Pochettino proved at Tottenham that he can improve English players, with Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Kyle Walker, Danny Rose and Eric Dier progressing strongly during his tenure. Were he to move to Madrid, he would likely find England internationals Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold there.
Klopp also launched Alexander-Arnold’s career at Liverpool and turned him into one of the most eye-catching English players in the world.
Arbeloa was promoted to the first-team job in January when Xabi Alonso departed. He had been in charge of Castilla, effectively Madrid’s B team.
