New Jose Mourinho Rumors on Real Madrid Contract Talks, Potential Return amid Turmoil

Real Madrid have opened conversations with former manager José Mourinho about a return to the Bernabéu, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein and Mario Cortegana.

Ornstein and Cortegana reported that Mourinho, who's at Benfica, "is understandably open to the possibility of a return to a place he holds in the highest regard."

The report cited Mauricio Pochettino, Jürgen Klopp, Massimiliano Allegri and Didier Deschamps as prospective candidates.

"However, there is no indication Madrid have advanced their interest in any of those names to the extent they now have with Mourinho," per The Athletic.

Klopp in particular might have his eyes on coaching the German national team.

Hiring Mourinho will either be an incredible gambit or blow up spectacularly. There may not be much in between.

Real Madrid is badly in need of a cultural reset.

The results on the pitch aren't good enough. Los Blancos are on pace to finish runner-up to rival Barcelona in La Liga, and they lost to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Things behind the scenes are even worse.

Madrid announced Friday it fined Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni €500,000 each following a reported altercation at the training ground. Star forward Kylian Mbappé also reportedly challenged a member of the coaching staff during a training session.

Hiring a manager in the disciplinarian mold could be exactly what the dressing room needs, and Mourinho is likely to demand more respect than Xabi Alonso did based on his vast achievements as a manager.

But Mourinho's days as an elite-level coach might be over. Winning the Premier League with Chelsea in 2014-15 is the last time he claimed a domestic title.

At the height of his powers, players bought into the 63-year-old's vision because he was almost guaranteed to deliver silverware in some form. His defensive tactics and demanding style are harder to maintain when wins don't follow.

Along with that, there may not be another club where the players exert more influence than at Real Madrid. The marquee stars will have no qualms about undermining Mourinho after a string of bad performances.

One thing is clear if this partnership materializes: It won't be boring.