Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has not dropped their pursuit of Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.

The Mirror says they realise the odds are hugely stacked against them when it comes to Pochettino with the Argentinian having committed to Spurs by signing a new five-year contract worth £42.5m just last month and chairman Daniel Levy such a tough negotiator.

So they have stepped back from Pochettino, publicly at least, in a move they hope will avoid angering Levy, further dirty tricks accusations and having to eat humble pie should they ultimately accept defeat.

They will instead continue to keep tabs on Pochettino from a distance and are considering their other options to replace Zinedine Zidane who quit last week.

Juventus boss Max Allegri, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, former Bernabeu midfielder Guti, and Arsene Wenger are among the other names who have been linked with the Madrid job.