Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Jose Mourinho may be in the dugout for Real Madrid next season, Yankee Scores reports. 

The Portuguese tactician has emerged as the preferred candidate of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to take over as head coach.

Arbeloa’s Departure Sealed

Alvaro Arbeloa’s contract as interim manager at Real Madrid will not be extended or made permanent. The surprise contender for the job is now Jose Mourinho, who is currently coaching Portugal’s Benfica.

Alvaro Arbeloa has found the shoes at Real Madrid too big to fill with a looming trophyless season.

With 11 points adrift of table leaders Barcelona and five matches to go, mathematically it is not over yet, but realistically, it is. Real would need Barcelona to lose the remaining games while they win all to bridge and surpass the 11-point gap.

In the Champions League, Real Madrid was knocked out by Bayern Munich 6-4 on aggregate, no thanks to Camavinga’s late red in the dying minutes in the second leg, which gave room for two quick-fire goals that sent Real packing.

Mourinho’s Situation at Benfica 

At Benfica, Mourinho reportedly has a £2.6m break clause in his contract with the Portuguese club, currently second in the league and seven points behind leaders Porto.

A Divided Boardroom

Mourinho does not enjoy universal support inside Real Madrid to return for a second spell, according to this report.

However, Perez is leading the process to find a long-term successor to Xabi Alonso. He strongly believes in Mourinho’s capabilities to turn things around at the Bernabeu.

Mourinho spent three seasons in charge of Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning LaLiga and the Copa del Rey