Real Madrid have added Mauricio Pochettino to a shortlist of candidates to replace head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, according to ESPN.
The Spanish giants only appointed Arbeloa in January following the departure of Xabi Alonso, but he was never viewed internally as a long-term solution.
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The former Real Madrid defender had impressed with his work in the academy. However, Los Blancos have continued to struggle during his first few months in charge.
Arbeloa would need a dramatic turnaround, potentially even winning the Champions League, to keep his job beyond this season.
The club values him highly and could offer him another role within the organisation, possibly returning to coach the reserve side.
Attention has therefore turned to possible replacements, with Pochettino emerging as one of the names admired by president Florentino Perez.
The Argentine is currently in charge of the United States men’s national team and is under contract through the upcoming World Cup.
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He has previously been linked with the Madrid job after guiding Tottenham Hotspur to the Champions League final in 2019.
Pochettino also brings experience managing elite dressing rooms from spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. He has a relationship with Kylian Mbappe.
He coached the Frenchman for two seasons in Paris, during which they won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the French Super Cup. This appeals to Madrid’s hierarchy.
Interestingly, Arbeloa’s future is not the only issue under review.
Questions are also being asked about recruitment chief Juni Calafat after a summer in which arrivals such as Franco Mastantuono, Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold have yet to convince.
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Other coaches linked with the role include Jurgen Klopp, Unai Emery and Massimiliano Allegri.
A return for Zinedine Zidane appears unlikely, with the Frenchman expected to take over the national team after the World Cup.
If Madrid do move for Pochettino, his greatest strength may lie beyond tactics.
Managing the Santiago Bernabeu dressing room is often about controlling personalities as much as systems.
With experience handling global stars and high-pressure environments, Pochettino has already shown he can navigate those dynamics, a quality that could make him an ideal fit for the job.
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