Real Madrid reach agreement with 51-year-old coach to replace Carlo Ancelotti next season - Reports

Real Madrid have reportedly reached an agreement with former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss Mauricio Pochettino to replace Carlo Ancelotti next season.

Defensacentral.com (via El Nacional) reports that Pochettino, 51, will be the new coach at the Santiago Bernabeu from the 2023-24 season. The Argentine has been out of management since last summer when he was sacked by PSG despite leading the Parisians to the Ligue 1 title. He has also had a stint at Tottenham Hotspur, taking them to the 2019 UEFA Champions League final.

Ancelotti's future seems to be away from the Santiago Bernabeu amid an underwhelming ongoing campaign. Los Blancos have all but surrendered the La Liga title to Barcelona, trailing their El Clasico rivals by 12 points with as many games left.

Real Madrid have weighed up other options like Julian Nagelsmann, who was recently sacked by Bayern Munich. A potential return for Jose Mourinho to Los Merengues has also been under consideration.

However, they have seemingly opted to go for Pochettino, who could make his return to Spanish football after starting his managerial career at Espanyol. The Argentine was shown the door at the Parc des Princes due to his side's implosion in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League last season. They suffered a 3-2 defeat to Ancelotti's Real Madrid after leading the tie 2-0 on aggregate. He boasted a record of 56 wins in 84 games with PSG.

Ancelotti, meanwhile, could be set to replace Tite as Brazil manager. Selecao goalkeeper Ederson has said that there's a good chance of that happening following talks with Madrid duo Vinicius Junior and Eder Militao. The Los Blancos boss led his side to a La Liga and Champions League glory last season, but his team have stumbled this term.

---

PSG's Kylian Mbappe tells Real Madrid he intends to join as free agent in 2024

Kylian Mbappe could join Pochettino at Madrid.

Pochettino could soon be joined at the Santiago Bernabeu by his former PSG striker Kylian Mbappe. According to AS (via Managing Madrid), the French forward has told Les Merengues that he intends to join as a free agent in 2024.

Mbappe's contract with PSG expires in 2025. However, the aforementioned source cites various reports from French and Spanish media. There's reportedly a clause that allows him to terminate his contract a year early.

Real Madrid were expected to sign Mbappe heading into last summer when his contract was expiring with the Parisians, but the Frenchman put pen to paper on a three-year deal.

However, Mbappe has never seemed overly satisfied with life at the Parc des Princes. Christophe Galtier's side made a disappointing exit from the UEFA Champions League last 16 for the second straight season. The French striker has been in superb form, scoring 31 goals in 33 games across competitions, though.