What latest developments out of Madrid mean for Pochettino, Tottenham

Compelling news out of the Spanish capital, via journalist Siro López, report that Antonio Conte has been excluded from contention for the Madrid job. 

Which leads one to believe that Madrid now have Mauricio Pochettino locked in their crosshairs. The bottom line of Game Time’s below tweet, on behalf of López, roughly translates to, “@Real Madrid discards Antonio Conte and Raúl González for the white bench.”

Madrid’s other shortlisted candidate, Massimiliano Allegri, was confirmed as Juventus’ manager just days ago. Retired Spanish legend Raul is also still in contention for the role, who currently manages Real Madrid Castilla, the club’s B side.

If Lopez’s tweet is confirmed, it would logically mean that Pochettino is the clear frontrunner for the Madrid posting. The 49-year-old Argentine in the past made it clear that one day he wants to manage Madrid, in what he called a “dream job.”

Well, albeit speculatively, the recent development could be interpreted as a sign that Pochettino might find Madrid’s advances too alluring to turn down. Of course time will tell if the latest occurrence is significant in Spurs’ quest to hire a new manager.

Pochettino yesterday publicly informed PSG of his desire to leave the club after only five months in charge. His short reign in Paris, headlined by a disconnected, tense relationship with PSG sporting director Leonardo, spearheaded Pochettino’s decision to look elsewhere.

Madrid hadn’t made their presence felt when Tottenham first approached Pochettino about returning to Hotspur Way last week. And while Spurs still have a lot going in their bid to convince Pochettino to return to north London, one can’t help acknowledge the compelling nature of Madrid’s advances.