Real Madrid have sacked Jurgen Lopetegui just 139 days after controversially poaching the former the Spanish national team's head coach in the lead up to 2018 Fifa World Cup.
Following a string of poor results, which includes a spirit-crushing 5-1 defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona, the club are reeling at the ninth spot, seven points adrift the league leaders.
At a time when the Spanish giants are in need of a firm hand to steer out of trouble, speculations are rife that Real are keen on bringing former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte to the Bernabeu.
Conte is seen as the frontrunner but it seems the Italian tactician isn't going to rush his decision as he has his eyes set on Jose Mourinho's job at Manchester United, according to the Daily Express.
Familiarity with the likes of Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku is driving Conte's love for the United role, the news daily quoted Italian journalist Giovanni Guardala as saying.
"There are many rumours about his future. Real Madrid is tempting him but Manchester United is a team that Antonio Conte really likes," Guardala said.
"There are players like Paul Pogba, whom he coached at Juventus, or Alexis Sanchez, Herrera and Lukaku, three players he's always wanted to sign. At the moment nothing is decided with Real Madrid."
Real have named Santiago Solari, the club's B team coach, as the temporary in-charge but they need to act quickly if they are to land Conte. Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) states that a club cannot take more than two weeks since the time of vacancy to find a new coach, according to Goal.
Conte, who led Chelsea to Premier League glory in 2016-17 before being sacked last season, will be wary of the pressure that a Real job brings with it.
Notably, the reflection of Real's woes on the league table is not entirely Lopetegui's fault, considering the way president Florentino Perez handled Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.
Perez's decision not to replace Ronaldo with a big-money signing in the summer transfer window left a huge void in the team, considering the consistency of the Portugal star.
At the same time, Conte is unlikely to get the United job any time soon as under-fire Mourinho seems to have bought himself a little more time with some impressive results at Newcastle United, Chelsea and Everton.
