Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid accelerates as Ornstein delivers huge update | OneFootball

Jurgen Klopp is no longer the frontrunner to replace Alvaro Arbeloa as Real Madrid boss, as David Ornstein has confirmed Jose Mourinho is now a serious candidate.

Current head coach Arbeloa is widely expected to be sacked by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez at the end of the season. Arbeloa took over in mid-January following Xabi Alonso’s departure, but it has been a disappointing end to the season for Los Blancos.

They have fallen 11 points behind LaLiga leaders Barcelona and were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.

With Madrid facing a second successive trophyless campaign, Perez is ready to act.

The Athletic’s Ornstein and Mario Cortegana – their Madrid reporter – have stated that Mourinho has sensationally emerged as Perez’s ‘preferred candidate’ to replace Arbeloa this summer.

Some senior officials at the Bernabeu are ‘opposed’ to the idea of Mourinho returning as manager. However, Perez has the final say, and this means the Portuguese icon is a ‘strong contender’.

Mourinho is currently in charge of Benfica, and his contract at the Estadio da Luz runs until June 2027. But Ornstein and Cortegana report that it includes a €3million (£2.6m) break clause which can be activated 10 days after the end of the campaign.

This means Madrid could secure a reunion with Mourinho without having to break the bank.

Recent reports have suggested Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe would prefer Mourinho to join than Klopp.

The latter has been heavily linked with a blockbuster move to the Spanish capital, though he appears happy in his role as Red Bull’s Global Head of Soccer.

Mourinho heading back to Madrid would be one of the biggest stories of the summer. He was first hired by Perez in July 2010 and was tasked with stopping Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

Over the next three years, the 63-year-old helped Madrid win LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana. Under Mourinho’s guidance, Madrid became the first and only team to pick up 100 points in LaLiga in the 2011-12 season.

Jose Mourinho return would be controversial

Mourinho thrived on his rivalry with Guardiola and even forced the then-Barca boss into a year-long career break.

Mourinho and Perez maintain a great relationship, though it would still be a controversial appointment. The two-time Champions League winner clashed with Iker Casillas during his first spell at the Bernabeu, and he has proven to be an abrasive figure at every club since.

Mourinho is one of few managers on the planet capable of handling Madrid’s Galacticos, but if the prospective move does not go to plan, then it is easy to see him falling out with several members of the squad.

Mourinho’s potential first meeting with Vinicius Junior could also be tricky. After Vinicius accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racist language during a Champions League clash in February, Mourinho suggested the Brazilian had provoked the abuse with his celebration.

Mourinho later said he is ‘completely opposed to any kind of discrimination’, while Prestianni has since been handed a six-game ban for homophobic conduct.