Mauricio Pochettino waiting on Real Madrid job should Ancelotti leave this summer | OneFootball

Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino is eyeing a move to Real Madrid if Carlo Ancelotti leaves the club this summer, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Ancelotti’s contract with the club runs until 2024, but his immediate future at the Santiago Bernabeu is up in the air amid reports he could leave this summer.

Having guided Los Blancos to La Liga and European triumph last season, Ancelotti and his side have found it difficult to replicate last season’s success.

The Spanish giants have endured a woeful campaign by their very high standards, with the Champions League their only realistic chance of winning silverware this season.

Madrid have spent much of the campaign in the shadow of rivals Barcelona who are on the verge of a domestic clean sweep.

Following the 2-1 El Clasico defeat to Barcelona at the Spotify Camp Nou last time out, Madrid trail the Blaugranas by 12 points at the La Liga summit – a seemingly unassailable lead with 12 games until the end of the season.

They also lost out to Xavi Hernandez’s side in the Spanish Super Cup final and have one foot out of the Copa Del Rey following a 1-0 first-leg defeat against Barca.

The only silver lining for Madrid is they are through to the Champions League quarter-finals after a 6-2 aggregate success over Premier League giants Liverpool.

Ancelotti’s future hangs in the balance, and Pochettino, who has always had one eye on the Los Blancos job, is monitoring the situation with keen interest.

The Argentine tactician also has an eye on the soon-to-be-vacant managerial role at his former club Tottenham Hotspur with Antonio Conte expected to be sacked during the international break.

Pochettino has been out of a job since leaving PSG in 2022 but will face competition for the Madrid job, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp also reportedly interested in replacing Ancelotti.