Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is at the top of the list to replace Santiago Solari as Real Madrid’s permanent coach this summer despite overtures apparently being made towards former Bernabéu bosses Zinedine Zidane and José Mourinho, spoke to Spanish state broadcaster TVE about the speculation linking him with a return to LaLiga.

“My relationship with Spain will always be there,” the former Espanyol coach said. “Hopefully one day I can go back there and play some winning football that people like to watch. I would consider going back. You should always remain open to new experiences and new projects.”

Pochettino on Real Madrid: "It means we're doing our jobs well"

Asked about the fate of Santiago Solari, with whom he played for Argentina, Pochettino responded: “I know him because we played together. He is a colleague and it’s always frustrating and disappointing when teams like PSG or Real Madrid get knocked out of the big competitions.”

Pressed on the possibility of moving to the Bernabúe, Pochettino played a straight bat: “I see it as something positive. It means that someone there has noticed that we’re doing our jobs well.”