Real Madrid Reportedly Contact Jose Mourinho Amid Julen Lopetegui Rumours

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly been contacted by Real Madrid regarding a return to the club. 

With Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui under pressure following a string of poor results Los Blancos director Jose Angel Sanchez is said to have held talks with Mourinho about possibly taking over, according to El Pais (h/t Football Espana).

According to El Pais, Mourinho is "waiting to be fired" at Old Trafford after an inconsistent start to the season. In addition, the contact with the Portuguese is said to have occurred despite a tense relationship with players such as Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Dani Carvajal from his first time in Spain.

Mourinho was also reportedly sounded out by Madrid when they parted company with Rafael Benitez in 2016, only for the club to appoint Zinedine Zidane.

Football Espana noted the story in El Pais comes from "reputable Madrid-based journalist Diego Torres...who previously wrote a biography on the Portuguese boss."

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According to Sky Sports, Lopetegui's days at the Santiago Bernabeu are numbered despite only taking charge of 12 games so far. That's after the team slumped to a shock 2-1 loss to Levante at home on Saturday.

They team also passed an unwanted landmark during the game:

Lopetegui arrived at Madrid in controversial circumstances, as he was appointed while preparing for the FIFA World Cup with Spain. Following the announcement from Los Blancos, Spain opted to part ways with the coach on the eve of the competition.

After a bright start to the season things have tailed off for Lopetegui, with the team lacking spark in front of goal and showing little organisation in defence. The nature of the performance on Saturday would've been a major concern for Madridistas.

Per Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC, the manager has still been overseeing the preparations for Tuesday's showdown with Viktoria Plzen:

Mourinho would be a fascinating choice as a replacement if Lopetegui was to get the axe, especially after he had an eventful three-year stint in the Spanish capital previously.

While he steered the team to the La Liga title in 2011-12, Mourinho was involved in a number of unsavoury incidents in Madrid, the most notorious of which was when he poked then Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova in the eye.

Despite this recent speculation, Mourinho said he expects to see out his contract at United despite the speculation surrounding his future. "I even want to extend it," he said on Monday, per Football Espana. "I want to be here until the last day. I only think about Manchester United."