Jose Mourinho is set to replace Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettinho at Tottenham Hotspur if he is sacked, preferring to coach Real Madrid.
Mourinho told his close associates that he was confident that Real officials would offer him the job if Zinedine Zidane left, predicting that this would not mean he would accept the job because he wanted to coach Tottenham.
Mourinho has been nominated to replace Zidane at the Bernabeu, but the 56-year-old coach is watching the situation at Spurs, where Pochettino is in deep crisis after the team's poor performance this season.
The 47-year-old may resign or be sacked after Tottenham's poor start to the tournament, with Mourinho considered an immediate option if the club had limited options.
Tottenham are 14th with 14 points, angering fans who lost the Champions League final to Liverpool 2-0 last season after being led by the Argentine to the continental final for the first time.