Jose Mourinho has told Real Madrid President Florentino Perez that he wants Everton's Richarlison and Liverpool's Fabinho at the Santiago Bernabeu if he is to replace Zinedine Zidane, according to Don Balon.
It is claimed the situation in the Spanish capital has turned 'completely grey' for Zidane in his second spell in charge of Los Blancos, with defeat at Mallorca on Saturday forcing Perez to make contact with Mourinho about a possible return.
Zidane oversaw 149 fixtures across all competitions during his first spell in the Real Madrid dugout and left the Santiago Bernabeu in May 2018 with three Champions League winners' medals, one La Liga crown and two The Best FIFA Men's Coach Awards in his trophy cabinet (TransferMarkt).
His return as the successor to Santiago Solari has seen Los Blancos again challenge for the Spanish top-flight crown, but defeat at Mallorca on Saturday saw FC Barcelona move top to the top of the table. Madrid have also struggled in Europe with Paris Saint-Germain taking a 3-0 win on the opening night of the Champions League season, while Club Brugge held the Spanish outfit to a 2-2 draw on matchday two having taken a two-goal lead.
Losing at Mallorca may have been Madrid's first La Liga defeat of the season, but it is said to have seen the Los Blancos board lose faith in Zidane and his coaching staff, forcing Perez to make contact with Mourinho over a potential return.
The Portuguese tactician has been out of work since being fired by Manchester United last year, and Don Balon claim he would seek immediate signings if he were to take up Perez's offer, knowing that earning the respect of the dressing room is one of the most complicated tasks in football.
Mourinho had a series of public fallouts with leading Madrid players during his time at the club between 2010 and 2013, falling out with the likes of Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo among others (Telegraph). To avoid a repeat, it is suggested Everton's Richarlison and Liverpool's Fabinho have been identified as the first two players he would look to sign.
Richarlison is seen as one of Brazil's most promising attackers, and a move is said to be feasible at around €50million (£42.9m), despite Everton spending a potential £50m (BBC) on the 22-year-old when they lured the 5 ft 8 forward away from Watford in 2018.
Everton also reportedly placed a £100m asking price on the 17-cap international to ward off interest from Atletico Madrid, PSG and Manchester United this summer (The Sun).
Mourinho moving for Richarlison should he return to Real Madrid would purely be a power-play to have players on his side and could be a disaster for the winger and Everton if Los Blancos were to stump up enough cash to make it happen.
The Galacticos already have numerous forwards at Zidane's disposal with Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard, Vinicius Junior, James Rodriguez and Isco all earning minutes on the wings in La Liga this season (WhoScored). Brahim Diaz, Marco Asensio, Rodrygo and Lucas Vazquez can also play out wide (TransferMarkt).
Losing Richarlison would also be a hammer blow to whatever hopes Everton still harbour of competing for a European berth, as the versatile 22-year-old has played the fifth-most minutes of those called upon by Silva thus far and returned the joint-most goals in the Premier League after enjoying a 13-goal campaign in 2018/19.
Everton fans, how much would Richarlison be worth in January? Let us know in the comments below…