Jose Mourinho is 'almost 100% certain' to be offered the chance to return to Real Madrid at the end of the season, according to reports.
Current Madrid boss Santiago Solari is contracted to the club until 2021, but he is expected to be sacked in the summer following a dismal string of results.
Los Blancos have been eliminated from the Copa del Rey, La Liga title race and Champions League in the space of a week, including back-to-back Clasico defeats at home to Barcelona and another Bernabeu humiliation at the hands of Ajax on Tuesday night.
The likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp and former boss Zinedine Zidane have been linked with the post, but The Telegraph reports that Mourinho is almost certain to be offered the job by president Florentino Perez.
Mourinho, who has been out of work since being sacked by Manchester United in December, previously managed Madrid between 2010 and 2013 in an often-divisive period in charge.
The 56-year-old insists that there has been no contact with the club, but supporters were heard chanting his name following the defeat to Ajax, which was their fourth straight home loss across all competitions.
Madrid, whose chances of silverware are now effectively over for the season, will look to stop the rot when they take on Real Valladolid in La Liga on Sunday.
Barney Corkhill
