Real Madrid are monitoring Jose Mourinho's situation at Manchester United in the hope they can convince their multiple Liga record-breaking manager to return to the Santiago Bernabeu as the permanent replacement for Julen Lopetegui.

Florentino Perez believes he needs a powerful coach to bring a Madrid dressing room that vocally rebelled against the proposed appointment of Antonio Conte this weekend into check. Mourinho's success in wresting the Spanish title away from Pep Guardiola's Barcelona with a record total of both points and goals in his previous spell at the club remains highly valued by a Madrid president under pressure to turn around a debilitating start to the season.

For his part, Mourinho has made it clear that he does not wish to leave Old Trafford, responding to question from Spanish reporters last week by stating that: “My future is here. I have a contract and until the end of my contract I only think about Manchester United. I am happy to stay here longer than that.”

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Perez, however, feels he may be able to tempt Mourinho into working for him again were United to respond to the significant external criticism of their manager by dismissing the 55-year-old. Such a turn of events would also allow the Real Madrid president to hire a double Champions League-winning coach without paying compensation to his current employers.

Mourinho's long-term future at United has been under scrutiny since the English Premier League club entered a series of four matches without victory at the end of September. While Ed Woodward recently provided assurances that his board were not preparing to replace Mourinho, the executive vice-chairman made it clear that results needed to improve.

There remains significant tension between manager and board over player recruitment with Mourinho arguing both publicly and privately for the need to invest the club's substantial financial resources in improving the first team if United want to take the English title back from Manchester City.

This is not the first time that Perez has considered re-employing Mourinho, whom he reluctantly allowed to leave the club in 2013. During the 2015-16 season the Portuguese turned down the opportunity to replace Rafa Benitez.

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Madrid took the decision to sack Lopetegui ahead of Sunday's 5-1 Clasico defeat at Barcelona, with Perez telling friends that he had a deal in place to bring former Juventus and Chelsea coach Conte to the club. Those plans are understood to have been set aside following Sergio Ramos' pointed post-match comments about the Italian.

"I've always said respect is earned, it is not imposed," Madrid captain Ramos said. "We have won everything with managers that you know. And in the end the management of the dressing room is more important than the technical knowledge of a manager."

On Monday, Madrid formally announced the termination of Lopetegui's three-year contract, and the temporary appointment of Real Madrid Castilla coach Santiago Solari. “This decision, which was taken with the utmost responsibility, seeks to bring about a turnaround in the first-team's fortunes at a time when all of this season's targets are still achievable,” said a club statement.

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“The board considers there to be a large disparity between the quality within the Real Madrid squad, which boasts eight nominees for the next Ballon d'Or award - an unprecedented number in the club's history - and the team's results to date.”

Madrid are also continuing to pursue the signature of Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham Hotspur coach who was Perez's first-choice for the position in the summer following Zinedine Zidane's voluntary exit. Although the Argentine has again flagged his interest in leaving White Hart Lane – telling press that “my feeling (at Tottenham) is the worst feeling I’ve had in the five years that I’ve been here” - Madrid do not expect Daniel Levy to allow the Argentine to leave.