Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be plotting a double raid on recently relegated Leicester City, according to the latest reports.

What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?

As per The Sun, the Lilywhites are said to be ready to battle it out with Newcastle United for the signing of both James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, with the pair both set to leave the King Power Stadium this summer following the drop into the Championship.

The report suggests that Spurs and the Magpies are 'pushing hardest' to sign the England duo, with the two men both set to command a fee of roughly £40m each – totalling £80m.

The report suggests that Maddison, in particular, has been a 'long-term target' for Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy, with now seemingly an opportune time to pounce with just 12 months remaining on the 26-year-old's existing deal.

Should Tottenham sign Maddison and Barnes?

It is fair to say that the north London outfit are in desperate need of new recruits following what proved to be a rather turbulent and underwhelming campaign at N17, with the club missing out on European qualification and proving unable to end their 15-year trophy drought.

The days of reaching the Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino back in 2019 may feel a world away for both the Spurs support and for Levy, with the Englishman no doubt keen to get back to competing for major honours sooner rather than later.

The aim for any new permanent manager will be to try and fashion a side in a similar image to the one which became regular top-four dwellers during Pochettino's time at the helm, with the Tottenham side then having featured an exciting attacking quartet involving the current pair of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, as well as Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.

Should Kane – who has been linked with a move away of late – and Son opt to stay put this summer, then Levy and co could well bolster that forward line by bringing in the next Alli and Eriksen in the form of Barnes and Maddison – the latter pair having been hailed for their "positive" impact at Leicester in recent seasons, as per BBC's Football Daily.

In the case of Maddison, the former Norwich City man could well be a dream heir to Eriksen in the side, with the Englishman having previously been identified as a possible successor to the Dane back in 2019.

Taking a look at the 2016/17 campaign – in which Pochettino's side finished second behind rivals Chelsea – Eriksen notably contributed eight goals and 16 assists in the top-flight as a marker of his creative brilliance, having typically operated in a playmaking role or on the flanks.

Maddison has the credentials to emulate such success having provided ten goals and nine assists in the most recent campaign, having also been deployed in a number ten berth or in a wide role.

Equally, his younger colleague Barnes could also potentially replicate the goalscoring heroics of the aforementioned Alli, with the latter man having bagged 18 league goals during a stellar 2016/17 season.

While Barnes hasn't quite hit those heights, it is still impressive that the 25-year-old was able to register 13 league goals for a struggling side this season, showcasing that as part of a functioning unit the Burnley native could shine even brighter.

Although the one-time West Bromwich Albion loanee is more of a forward than a midfielder like Alli, the latter man did also operate on the left flank in 16/17 at times, while also playing in an advanced central role behind compatriot Kane – a role which Barnes has also fulfilled in his career to date.

Those comparisons would suggest that if Levy can manage to win the race for the Leicester duo, the heights of the Pochettino era could well be reached once again…

Leeds United chiefs have internally discussed out-of-work manager Scott Parker as the Whites continue their search for Sam Allardyce's replacement.

Who could Leeds appoint as manager?

Following relegation from the Premier League, Leeds face an almighty task to find the perfect successor to Allardyce, who has left Elland Road by mutual consent.

It's been a season to forget for Leeds, who saw three different managers take the helm last campaign in Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Allardyce – but none could steer them away from the Championship.

FC Lorient boss Regis Le Bris and West Brom's Carlos Corberan, among others, are reportedly in contention to replace Allardyce at Leeds, though hiring either boss could be difficult given their currently employed status.

Free agent managers could be a solution and there are plenty around, with former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard being linked with a move to Yorkshire.

Reliable journalist Phil Hay, writing in a piece for The Athletic, claims Leeds have internally discussed hiring another manager on the market in Parker.

The 42-year-old, who has previously managed the likes of Fulham and Club Brugge, is indeed a candidate among the Leeds hierarchy.

“Scott Parker has been discussed on the basis he won promotion from the Championship twice before, with Fulham and Bournemouth," Hay wrote."Leicester City are another possible destination for him.”

Hay also explains that Leeds wanted to take their time and draw up a viable shortlist of candidates before formally approaching any manager.

“Last week, Leeds’ chief executive, Angus Kinnear, began assessing and approaching potential managerial candidates with a view to establishing whether they were interested and what their demands would be.“The club wanted to be in a position where a viable shortlist was in place for the moment a formal offer could be made.”

Who is Scott Parker?

The ex-West Ham and Tottenham midfielder, despite being unceremoniously sacked by Brugge most recently, has actually received glowing praise from elite managers like Pep Guardiola for some of his work.

Guardiola has previously called Parker an "innovative" manager when discussing England's most promising up-and-coming coaches.

Tottenham defender Ryan Sessegnon also holds the tactician in very high esteem, having sung his praises back in 2021 to talkSPORT:

"Everyone knows the relationship I have with Scott. He’s a top guy, top man and a top coach. He’s just an all-round great guy," explained Sessegnon."He obviously has a philosophy of play and sticks to it and all the players are buying into that. Recently, it hasn’t been so good for them in terms of results, but I think the performances and effort is still there."

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA double-century from Azhar Ali. Pakistan batting until after lunch on day three. No fewer than 141 overs lost to rain. Fifteen wickets in four days on a surface more concrete than pitch. Australia won the Boxing Day Test. Yep, really.

Pakistan fined for slow over rate

Pakistan have been fined for a slow over rate during the second Test against Australia at the MCG. Match referee Ranjan Madugalle imposed the fine after Pakistan were ruled to be two overs short of their target when time allowances were taken into consideration.
Players are fined 10% of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined 20%, in accordance with Article 2.5.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. Misbah-ul-Haq was hence fined 40% of his match fee; he pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction.

In a conjuring act to rival those of Sydney 2010 and Adelaide 2006, Steven Smith’s men produced a Test and series victory from seemingly nowhere. Nowhere that is, apart from Pakistan’s unrivalled propensity for either triumph or disaster, with little in between.This, we had been told, was a sturdier Pakistan, capable of fighting a match out in the manner they did at the Gabba after a horrid start. This was also the Pakistan side that had ascended to No. 1 in the world earlier in the year. But their descent from the summit has been just as rapid as Australia’s: both sides know what it is like to lose five consecutive Tests from the moment they reached the top of the ICC’s rankings.From the opening moments of the day, Pakistan had looked a team worried about defeat, Australia a team alert to the prospect of victory. After Smith and Mitchell Starc supercharged their scoring rate so effectively as to post the highest ever Test total in Melbourne, a pair of early wickets either side of lunch gave the hosts a glimmer.It was exploited brilliantly by Nathan Lyon, who in the space of a single spell unseated Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq. Under extreme pressure to hold his spot entering the final day, Lyon’s response was emphatic, but not enough to cause Smith to keep him on after the tea break: he is not the first Australian spin bowler to struggle to retain the full confidence of his captain.That being the case, the final blows were struck by the seamers. Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird and Starc all found deliveries incisive enough to cut through the tail, much to the delight of a final day crowd that swelled the total attendance to 142,188, a figure as admirable in the rain-affected circumstances as Australia’s charge to victory.Much of Pakistan’s early bowling and fielding had been lacklustre when placed under pressure by Smith and Starc, personified by Sohail Khan’s wretched drop of Starc at long-off. Sohail finished with three wickets but was one of four expensive bowlers, none able to contain even with the help of Misbah’s often defensive fields.So quickly did Smith and Starc score that the home captain had the luxury of declaring before the interval, meaning the visiting openers were compelled to survive two bursts of the new ball either side of lunch.Mitchell Starc ripped out Sarfraz Ahmed with reverse-swing•Getty Images

In four overs before the interval, Pakistan lost the wicket of Sami Aslam, dragging a ball from Hazlewood onto the stumps via his body. The first over of the afternoon brought another, when Babar Azam was struck on the pad by a Starc inswinger that the umpire Ian Gould judged to be hitting leg stump – a decision the batsman’s referral showed to be marginal.Younis scored freely enough until Lyon’s introduction, when a fraction of extra bounce saw him turn an offbreak in the air towards short leg. Peter Handscomb moved forward to claim the chance a matter of millimetres above the turf. Misbah, out of sorts with the bat all series so far, tried a sweep first ball and then repeated it to his second, the top edge well caught around the corner by Nic Maddinson.This double left the door ajar for Australia, and it opened further when Shafiq advanced and pushed Lyon directly to Handscomb, who this time hung on after a juggle. Lyon, for so long this summer a harried figure, was now dictating terms, and his team could sense a remarkable result.It was a surprise when Smith did not keep Lyon on when play resumed, preferring Starc from the Great Southern Stand End. Hazlewood had found a modicum of reverse-swing and his tight lines were rewarded with Azhar’s wicket, the opener’s guard finally let down after 476 deliveries across two innings. Again, Gould ruled marginally in Australia’s favour on an lbw.That opened up an end, and after Bird surprised Mohammad Amir with a quicker delivery that was dragged onto the stumps, an exultant Starc blasted out Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah in a fashion that would have impressed Wasim Akram.Australian celebrations were unrestrained and it was not hard to work out why. For most of the past five days it appeared that time was getting away from both sides; in the end Australia toasted victory with the last hour to spare.

South Africa Women made a strong start to the five-match ODI series on their tour of Bangladesh with an 86-run win in Cox’s Bazar

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2017

Handy contributions from their top-order, and legspinners Dane van Niekerk and Suné Luus, helped South Africa make a strong start to their five-match ODI series on their tour of Bangladesh, with an 86-run win in Cox’s Bazar. South Africa’s top-three struck half-centuries to lay the base for their 251 for 3 after they were invited to make first use of the surface at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium. Luus and van Niekerk, the captain, then took five wickets between them, with the latter also proving economical, her nine-over spell costing South Africa just 23 runs, as Bangladesh were restricted to 165 for 6 in 50 overs.Lizelle Lee, South Africa’s wicketkeeper and opening batsman, razed the home team early with six fours and seven sixes as she zoomed to 87 off 71 balls. When she fell, she had scored the bulk of the 122 runs for the first wicket with Andrie Steyn, who was more sedate in her 68 off 123 balls. Following Lee’s dismissal, Steyn raised her maiden ODI half-century and added 79 more for the second wicket with Mignon du Preez. She was stumped off Salma Khatun, the offspinner, in the 43rd over. Khatun struck again, seventeen balls later, to have Chloe Tryon caught. But du Preez’s unbeaten 62, and a cameo of 20 from Marizanne Kapp, helped South Africa slap 37 runs off the last 25 balls.Khatun, despite her twin strikes, was expensive, ending her four-over spell with 2 for 30. Apart from her, only Nahida Akter, the left-arm spinner, was among the wickets. Akter was also economical, giving away just 45 in 10 overs in addition to the big scalp of Lee.Bangladesh crawled along for much of the first half of their chase. When Salma Khatun was caught behind of Luus, they had stumbled to 56 for 4. Rumana Ahmed, the Bangladesh captain, kept the fight alive with 37, but used up 80 balls. She added 52 for the fifth wicket with Nigar Sultana, the wicketkeeper-batsman. After Rumana’s dismissal, to a caught behind off van Niekerk, the onus fell on Sultana. She stayed till the end, finishing not out on 59. But despite her 90-ball effort that included seven fours and a six, Bangladesh fell a long way behind.While Luus (3 for 52 in 10) and van Niekerk dominated the wickets column, there were other impressive contributions. Opening bowler Marizanne Kapp and medium pacer Marcia Letsoalo stifled Bangladesh with economical spells of none for 10 in six overs, and none for 17 in 10 overs respectively.

With the last 16 already behind us, GOAL runs the rule over the remaining eight teams who are competing to become champions of the world

With all the shocks, the twists and turns and the drama the 2023 Women's World Cup has given us so far, it's been increasingly tough to call just who will win this tournament at its end. But one thing is now for certain – after the U.S. women's national team's incredible penalty shootout defeat to Sweden in the last 16, the champions of the last two editions will relinquish their crown.

The USWNT has not been the only scalp either. After New Zealand became the first hosts of a Women's World Cup ever to crash out in the group stages, Canada followed suit as the first reigning Olympic champion ever to do so and then Brazil crashed out in incredible fashion, too. Just when it seemed like that would be it for the chaos, Germany topped it all, failing to make the knockout stages for the first time ever. It might be the biggest shock in Women's World Cup history.

So, as we gear up for the quarter-finals, who is looking likely to be there in Sydney hoping to lift the title on August 20? Let GOAL's Power Rankings take you through all of the nations that remain in contention…

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  8Sweden

  It hasn't been pretty from Sweden in this tournament so far but they won all three group games and dispatched of the United States, the world champions, in the last 16. Their confidence is sky high.

  Peter Gerhardsson's team will need to improve as we get to the latter stages, though. Bar spells in the 5-0 thrashing of Italy, which was a victory largely inspired by set pieces, they've not looked fluid and consistently threatening going forward.

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  7England

  After grinding out 1-0 wins in their opening two games, England sent a message to the rest of the tournament with an emphatic 6-1 victory over China, the Asian champions, on Tuesday.

  But then a massively underwhelming goalless draw and subsequent penalty shoot-out win over Nigeria left many pondering just what the Lionesses' chances of winning this tournament are. It's been a mixed bag so far, with plenty of room for improvement.

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  6Spain

  There were so many questions around Spain going into this tournament. How would the players returning from their protest settle into the wider group? Would everything click right away? Would it take time?

  In three of their four games, La Roja have answered all of those questions emphatically. However, a 4-0 defeat to Japan in their final group game highlighted a number of flaws that top-class opposition can expose. It'll be extremely interesting to see how they fare against the Netherlands in the last eight, then, after dispatching of Switzerland in the last 16 with ease.

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  5Colombia

  Colombia caused the shock of the tournament so far when they defeated Germany in Sydney on Sunday, scoring a 97th-minute winner to do so. The South American side look defensively solid, clever in how they use the ball and dangerous going forward.

  They did struggle to come back from that incredible high in their third game, losing to Morocco, but still topped Group H and managed to score against a Jamaica side that hadn't conceded all tournament in their 1-0 last-16 win. They look strong in all areas.

Newcastle United have opened "talks" regarding a contract extension for Joelinton at St. James' Park, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

When is Joelinton out of contract at Newcastle?

The Brazil international first arrived in the Premier League from Hoffenheim back in 2019 and has since gone on to become a regular feature in the northeast, clocking up a total of 157 appearances to date.

The Magpies talisman still has another two years remaining on his contract at St. James’ Park, but having established himself last season in a remarkable personal campaign as Eddie Howe’s overall second best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.24, he’s bound to attract interest during the upcoming window.

PIF and the boss will be pleased to learn that the 26-year-old is yet to have any clubs chasing him as far as public knowledge is concerned, but you can never be too careful as we approach this busy time of year and it sounds like the hierarchy are keen to tie him down before any potential suitors start circling.

Have Newcastle offered Joelinton a new contract?

Taking to Twitter, Plettenberg revealed that Newcastle have now entered discussions with Joelinton about the possibility of him putting pen to paper and committing his long-term future to the club. He wrote:

"Excl. News #Joelinton: @NUFC wants to extend his contract beyond 2025 now! Talks have started. Early stage. Result open. After a top season the 26 y/o is about to make his debut with Brazil. Key player."

Newcastle will know that Joelinton was one of their most standout performers last season, and considering the high standard of quality that he displayed, the attacking midfielder being rewarded with improved terms is nothing less than he deserves.

The ROGON client, who earns £85k-per-week, racked up eight goal contributions (six goals and two assists) in the top-flight during the previous term and ranked in the 97th percentile for number of attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area and the 94th percentile for successful take-ons, as per FBRef.

The Alianca native, who offers wonderful versatility with his ability to operate in seven different positions, is also highly regarded among his fellow players and black and white striped supporters having taken home the Player of the Year award in 2021/22, and this love story will only develop even further should he sign on the dotted line in the weeks ahead of us.

Mohammad Amir has picked up a side strain that will limit his role in the ongoing third and final Test in Sydney to batting

Osman Samiuddin at the SCG06-Jan-2017Mohammad Amir has picked up a side strain that will limit his role in the ongoing third and final Test in Sydney to batting.Amir pulled an intercostal muscle on his right side during pre-match training on the fourth day of the Test and was taken for a scan. He did not appear on the field at all, putting more strain on an already thin bowling attack that was then reduced to just three specialist bowlers.That left Pakistan to open Australia’s second innings with Imran Khan and Yasir Shah, David Warner taking full toll in an explosive start. Yasir himself has been suffering from a slight hamstring strain in his left leg.Pakistan’s management believe Amir will recover in time to take part in the ODI series against Australia, which begins on January 13, but concerns about the workload on him and others such as Yasir will grow.For much of the last year, Pakistan have operated outside of the UAE with a four-man bowling attack, increasing the load on Yasir and Amir in particular. Since his return to Test cricket on July 14 last year no fast bowler has bowled as many overs in international cricket as Amir, a list otherwise dominated by spinners. The leading bowler in that time, by overs bowled, is Yasir, in Tests alone as well as across all formats.Amir injured his knee in the first Test in Brisbane earlier in the series and though it looked serious at the time, he was back on the field and bowling within an hour. In the same Test his thigh was heavily bruised after he was hit by a Mitchell Starc delivery.Earlier in the Test, coach Mickey Arthur acknowledged the workload his bowlers had to take on. “The guys are pretty tired, they really are,” Arthur said. “Amir… he keeps going you know.”Over the last six months or so we have played massive amount of cricket and he just keeps going and keeps going even though he has taken a lot of niggles, and he hasn’t shirked his responsibilities and he keeps running for us. They are not in good shape but they have kept going.”

Rangana Herath’s seventh ten-for in Tests put a depleted Sri Lanka side within touching distance of a 2-0 Test series sweep in Zimbabwe

The Report by Shashank Kishore09-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRangana Herath became the first bowler to take 50 wickets in 2016•Associated PressThree days between Tests is hardly enough for teams to work on their weaknesses. But this was Zimbabwe’s opportunity to prove they had learnt from their mistakes in the first Test, or at least from their first innings in this Test. Going by the evidence of the 45 overs they batted on the fourth day, they haven’t.Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain, who on the previous day had become just the third bowler after Muttiah Muralitharan and Dale Steyn to complete five-wicket hauls against all Test oppositions, picked up five wickets to leave Zimbabwe in a spin. Along the way, he became the first bowler to take 50 wickets in 2016. Chasing an improbable 491, after Sri Lanka’s declaration on 258 for 9 midway through the second session, Zimbabwe slumped to 180 for 7, with first-innings half-centurion Craig Ervine and Donald Tiripano at the crease.The first three wickets fell in identical fashion – batsmen pressing forward and playing either outside the line or inside the line without any conviction, almost like they were searching for the ball without quite reading the trajectory. The deliveries that got Brian Chari and Hamilton Masakadza were arm balls, while another flighted delivery spun away from the rough to take Tino Mawoyo’s edge off a tentative push to Dhananjaya de Silva at slip.Sean Williams decided the best way to score runs was to step out to the spinners. He was lucky that a couple of mis-hits landed safe. But the visible difference in his approach was that there were no half-measures – a slog sweep off Dilruwan Perera from outside off over deep midwicket underscored that point. Having weathered the early storm against spin, he paid the price for relaxing against the pacers. His ugly waft away from the body resulted in a thick edge to first slip off Lahiru Kumara.Then Dhananjaya, handed the ball perhaps just to shake things up, had a wicket in his second over when Malcolm Waller looked to drive, much like he did in the first innings, to a ball that drifted away to take the edge through to the wicketkeeper.Not even the loss of five wickets in the session curbed the instincts of Zimbabwe’s batsmen. Peter Moor kept going after the bowlers and struck them well for as long as he was around, before jabbing with hard hands to be caught at silly point. Then came perhaps the ball of the innings when Herath got one to drift in and spin away to square up Graeme Cremer and hit the stumps. It was fitting that the special delivery brought his seventh ten-wicket haul in Tests.Meanwhile, Ervine, it appeared, was batting on a completely different plane, playing deliveries on merit while taking toll of the half-trackers. Zimbabwe will need him and Tiripano, who in the past has proved to be a handy batsman, to carry on for as possible to at least reduce the margin of defeat.The first session had been attritional, with Sri Lanka happy to take their time to grind Zimbabwe down. Resuming on 102 for 4, they added 75 in the first session to leave Dimuth Karunaratne facing the prospect of bringing up his fifth Test ton. Asela Gunaratne, the other overnight batsman, made a sparkling 39, driving from the rough and playing with a degree of authority, before falling lbw to Tiripano on 39.Sri Lanka’s intent to up the scoring in the second session was evident from the outset. Given a license to attack, in line with his natural game, Kusal Perera swept, swiped and reverse-swept his way to a half-century off just 61 balls to swell Sri Lanka’s second-innings total.Suranga Lakmal too helped himself like he would in a buffet, picking away leg stump half-volleys and half-trackers to the boundary in an entertaining 47-run ninth-wicket stand. Herath declared when Kusal holed out to long-on for 62, thereby giving his team a day and a half to dismiss Zimbabwe and sweep to 2-0 in his first series as captain.

Tottenham Hotspur have "sent their scouts" to watch Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba, however there are "several" clubs interested in his signature, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Tottenham are set to battle north London rivals Arsenal for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi this summer, as per the Evening Standard, with Clement Lenglet set to return to Barcelona, and Davinson Sanchez facing an uncertain future.

In recent days, it has emerged that Spurs are also keen on bringing in Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah, who has a €18m (£15.5m) release clause, which would need to be activated before the beginning of July.

Tah is not the only Leverkusen defender the Lilywhites have set their sights on, however, as Romano has recently told GiveMeSport that they hold an interest in Tapsoba, who is also a target for Arsenal.

The transfer expert details that a number of teams are interested in the defender, while he also claims his big price tag could also be a stumbling block for Tottenham, saying: I think it will be a tough race and situation because several clubs are interested. Also, Tottenham sent their scouts, and there is interest in Tapsoba. But also, because Bayer Leverkusen will only let him go for big money, more than €50m-€55m (£43m-£47m).”

Who is Edmond Tapsoba?

Tapsoba has made a total of 137 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen since transferring to the German club in January 2020, and he played a vital role in the Bundesliga this season, missing just one game.

The Burkina Faso international has established himself as a key first-team player for the German side, commonly playing alongside Tah at the back, and considering Spurs are weighing up a move for both players, it is worthwhile to compare them.

Over the past year, the 6 foot 4 giant has averaged more tackles and blocks per 90 than his teammate, however he ranks lower for interceptions and aerials won during the same timeframe.

Not only that, but there is very little separating the two players, in terms of their average WhoScored match rating this season, indicating they are similar in quality, but Tah will be available for a fraction of the price, so he could well be the better purchase.

Despite Tapsoba being lauded as "solid as a rock" by football scout Jacek Kulig, if Tottenham are to make a move for any Bayer Leverkusen player this summer, it should be Jonathan Tah.

Florentino Perez needs to find a new coach for 2024 – GOAL runs through the main contenders for the hotseat at Santiago Bernabeu

The cat is finally out of the bag. In confirming Fernando Diniz as the national team's interim boss on Tuesday, Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues also revealed the Fluminense manager's successor. "Diniz's game plan is almost similar to that of the coach that will take over at Copa America – (Carlo) Ancelotti," Rodrigues said.

Even though Ancelotti still has a year to run on his current contract with Real Madrid, the news did not come as a major surprise, given Brazil have been chasing the Italian for some time now. It wasn't a question of if he would assume control of the Selecao, but when the announcement would be made.

What is less clear, though, is Madrid's succession plan. We don't yet know who will replace Ancelotti in the hot seat at Santiago Bernabeu.Several coaches have been linked with the vacancy but, as GOAL outlines below, some contenders are better-placed to take the reins next year than others…

(C)Getty ImagesJulian Nagelsmann

The German has been linked with Madrid ever since he was sensationally sacked by Bayern Munich in March and that's hardly surprising. While things turned sour at the Allianz Arena, Nagelsmann is still regarded as one of the most innovative young coaches in the game today, as underlined by links with the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Napoli.

He's also clearly prepared to wait for the right job to come along. However, would he really be prepared to wait another year for the Madrid job to become available? Granted, Nagelsmann is still only 35, so it's not as if he should be in any rush to get back in the game, but it would be a shock if he doesn't accept another role before the summer of 2024.

AdvertisementGettyAntonio Conte

The Italian was a serious contender to take over at the Bernabeu in 2018, but then-captain Sergio Ramos made his opposition to the potential appointment very clear. "Respect is earned, not imposed," the centre-back said at the time.

Things have changed quite a bit since then, of course. There aren't quite so many egos in the Madrid dressing room, but one does still wonder if the notoriously combustible Conte is really the right character for a club that affords its superstars a level of freedom and influence that would be anathema to the former Spurs coach.

On the other hand, one could argue that Conte is exactly what's needed to shake things up – as he did so successfully at the likes of Juventus, Chelsea and Inter – but it feels far more likely that he will accept an offer from a side promising him far more control than he would be afforded at the Bernabeu long before Ancelotti departs.

(C)GettyImagesJose Mourinho

Fans of controversy would undeniably love to see 'The Special One' back at the Bernabeu. Lest anyone forget, Mourinho turned the Clasico into such a toxic contest that it led to a deep division in the Spain camp between Madrid and Barcelona players.

He's not mellowed in old age, either. If anything, he's even more aggressive and abrasive than ever before, and he's also not lost his ability to whip an entire fanbase into a frenzy, so a Real return would be absolute box office. Perhaps most importantly, it's probable that Mourinho, who backed down on his threat to quit Roma this summer, will be available next year.

However, whether Perez wants to go through all that drama again remains very much open to debate. Talk to any member of the Madrid press and they'll tell you that when Mourinho left a decade ago, they were glad to see the back of the Portuguese, who accused the local media of hating him and described the 2012-13 season as "the worst" of his career.

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Alvaro Arbeloa

The former Liverpool full-back will be a surprise inclusion on this list for some people, but he is very highly regarded at Madrid – and not just because he is a former youth-team and Castilla player who went on to enjoy two separate spells with the senior squad. Indeed, Arbeloa is making quite the name for himself at under-age level – he currently coaches the club's Juvenil A – and is being touted as a future manager of the first team.

However, even with another year of experience under his belt, it would be hugely surprising if Perez turned to Arbeloa. If the president goes with an internal appointment, there is somebody ahead of Arbeloa in the pecking order – but more about him later…