The Argentine province of Santa Fe is famed for its natural waterways and colonial buildings but in more recent times it's become a hotbed for football managers.

Mauricio Pochettino spent his early years in Murphy, a small town named after a 19th century Irish immigrant, but a short distance away another Argentinian manager also began his football journey.

Santiago Solari will mean little to most fans of Premier League football, but that may well change in the coming months. At 43, four years Pochettino's junior, the former Real Madrid and Argentina midfielder has already occupied arguably the most uncomfortable hotseat in world football.

Santiago Solari says he's ready to start a 'serious project' in one of Europe's major leagues

Solari has been contemplating his next move since being sacked by Real Madrid in March

Solari spent six months in charge of Madrid prior to being sacked in March but now has his eyes set on a return to football and a high-profile managerial role in the Premier League.

Since his departure from the Bernabeu, Solari has opted to remain silent on his exit, preferring instead to mull over his first managerial experience, as well as big-money offers from clubs across the world, including China and the Middle East, which he has so far rebuffed.

He's also spent much of his free time watching English football and recently broke cover to outline his desire to return to the dugout - with England top of his list.

'I would like to coach in Europe, in a serious project in one of the big leagues,' he said in an interview with Spanish journalist Guillem Balague for BBC Sport. 'I saw the Premier League last year and how it grew so much.

'It was a fantastic campaign for the English teams. There are so many different cultures as well - you have Spanish coaches, German coaches, English coaches, coaches from all over the world who have made it grow.'

The Argentinian was axed from his first managerial role after just six months in charge

Solari was appointed Madrid boss on a permanent basis after sacking of Julien Lopetegui

His ambitions are lofty considering his short tenure and relative lack of experience in management but both his appointment and sacking were, in hindsight, premature.

Prior to his appointment at Madrid, initially on a short-term basis following the sacking of Julien Lopetegui, Solari had spent two seasons in charge of Madrid's B team before overseeing a run of four wins from four matches, which saw 15 goals scored and just two conceded.

Madrid's upturn in fortunes prompted president Florentino Perez make the uncharacteristic move of shunning the hiring of an A-list manager in favour of the lesser known Solari.

His profile was low-key but his opening address during a press conference to confirm his arrival was anything but. The Argentine demanded 'balls' from his players to propel them up the table and cut the sizeable gap between the club and leaders Barcelona and he wasn't afraid to show cojones of his own.

Solari immediately dropped Isco, Marcelo and Gareth Bale and put faith in younger players

The Argentine promoted Vinicius Junior to the first team along with several other youngsters

One of Solari's first moves was to drop Marcelo and Gareth Bale to the bench and reduce Isco to a spectator role, watching from the stands. It was a bold move given the power Madrid's high-profile players typically hold, but the Argentine was firm in his belief that progress would be best achieved through the blooding of younger players at the expense of bigger names who had perhaps become stale in the aftermath of winning the Champions League three times in a row under Zinedine Zidane.

Marcos Llorente was the first youngster to break through, before Brahim Diaz was also handed a regular first team slot. Sergio Reguilon and Vinicius Junior were then given opportunities in the first team as Solari gradually blended youth and experience.

His blueprint was clear and admirable, but the results were mixed. A 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano was a notable high, in a game which saw Reguilon and Vinicius start and another academy product, Mariano, brought on in the second half.

But, just weeks later, Madrid were beaten in consecutive fixtures by Barcelona at the Bernabeu in both the Copa del Rey and La Liga, including a 3-0 thrashing in the cup. Another home defeat, this time a 4-1 drubbing against Ajax in the last-16 of the Champions League - their heaviest home loss in the competition - ended their hopes of silverware by the early weeks of March.

Though Solari was afforded another game in charge following the catastrophe against Ajax, as Madrid beat Real Valladolid 4-1, he was dismissed a week later.

Madrid were beaten twice by Barcelona in consecutive games prior to Solari's sacking

He ended with a record of 21 wins, eight defeats and two draws from 31 games in charge. Despite overseeing a poor run of results, the sacking was harsh on a manager attempting to install a new philosophy and who had inherited an ageing team still very much aligned with Zidane.

He was offered several other roles at the club by Perez, who perhaps felt guilty at ending his reign so soon, particularly after his services for the club as a player and with Madrid's B team.

A manager's reputation can, occasionally, flourish with the benefit of hindsight. When Pochettino was sacked by Espanyol in 2012 with the club bottom of La Liga, just months after he'd guided them to an eighth placed finish, it seemed like a logical decision in a bid to save the team from relegation.

But in the months that followed it became clear that circumstances beyond his control had contributed to their demise. Financial instability and a mass exodus of key players had left Pochettino powerless to prevent their slide, but Southampton still came calling two months later.

The aftermath of Solari's reign has parallels with Pochettino's first stint in management seven years ago. Madrid's struggles since reappointing Zidane have shed a more favourable light on his reign and shown that he was perhaps destined for failure with the group of players at his disposal.

But rather than being burnt by the experience and returning to a youth team coaching role, he's used his enhanced profile to campaign for a high-profile job at another European club.

Solari's preference for a high-intensity, attacking football would make him a shoo-in for several clubs in England and he's been similarly seduced by the evolution of the Premier League.

Pochettino and Solari both grew up in Santa Fe before football took them to Europe

'The type of football I like is when the team is the protagonist, offensive football, high tempo and aggressive but in order to achieve that you have to defend high, have fast transitions, and of course talent is a big part of that,' he added in his BBC Sport interview.

'The statistics in the Premier League are amazing and confirm things are changing. Fifteen years ago there were just three games where one team averaged 70% of possession. Three years ago that went up to 30 games. Two years ago it was 60 games and last year there were 67 games in which one team had 70% of possession.'

His decision to agree to an interview with a leading English outlet was a savvy way of building his profile in England in the event a job becomes available. With pressure increasing on the likes of Everton's Marco Silva and Pochettino at Tottenham, Solari would, presumably, be a credible candidate for both roles.

But, while he has so far resisted the opportunity to comment on specific clubs, he has spoken of his admiration for the man born just up the road from him in Santa Fe.

'I am not friends with him but I know him and I admire him and what he has done last year and the year before,' said Solari.

'It didn't just happen that he got to the final of the Champions League - it was something that was growing over four or five years. I would like to see Pochettino with one of the really big teams soon because he deserves the opportunity.'

If he does, then he could open the door for Solari's next job.