A fresh twist has emerged in Tottenham Hotspur's bid to bring Mauricio Pochettino back to the club...

What's the word?

As first revealed by The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke, Spurs have held discussions with their former manager about a potential return to the north London side, and it is also thought that the Argentine would be open to leaving Paris Saint-Germain for his old club.

However, a new claim has surfaced suggesting that the 49-year-old is also a target for another European heavyweight.

According to Goal, La Liga giants Real Madrid have made Pochettino their top choice to replace Zinedine Zidane after it was confirmed that the Frenchman would walk away from his contract 12 months early.

Massimiliano Allegri was an early contender for the Bernabeu job but, with his return to Juventus on the cards, the club's hierarchy have quickly shifted their attention to the ex-Spurs favourite.

Worrying blow

This is potentially a crushing blow to many Spurs fans' hopes and dreams as the chances of a reunion with Pochettino could appear to be slim.

Indeed, Pitt-Brooke has since rated their chances of sealing him at "less than 50%" when speaking to 'The Totally Football Shaw' podcast earlier this week.

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Furthermore, it is no secret that Pochettino would love to manage Real Madrid, having made some intriguing claims back in 2018 after being approached by the Spanish outfit.

"I don't know if I'll ever coach Madrid, but of course it's my dream," he said (via The Mirror). "If it's not the best it's one of the best clubs in the world. I'm no different, everyone has it on their dream list."

He has since reinforced his desire to one day talk the helm at Madrid as, following his appointment at PSG, he said: "It was always my objective to one day be able to play for Real Madrid and when you don’t realize a dream, you say, 'Well, look, one day I’d like to coach Real Madrid - after Espanyol'."

Pochettino has even had to deny that there is a Madrid release clause within his contract at the Parc des Princes.

If he has to pick between his dream club, who will be competing in the Champions League next season, and a Tottenham team staring at a place in the Conference League, then there is surely only one winner.

All in all, the chances of the Argentine returning to Spurs appear rather slim, and that won't please many in north London, with numerous fans desperate to see Pochettino back at the club.

AND in other news, Forget Martinez: Levy can seal dream Spurs boss in "exciting" 51 y/o with 74% win rate...